Six Democrats Who Voted to Fund ICE Hold Off Republicans to Win

Six Democratic members of Congress who voted for a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill that included money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were projected to retain their seats after facing Republican challengers in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

It comes as Democrats prepare to take control of the House and Senate following the midterms, renewing the question of whether the party can use its majorities both chambers of Congress to restrict or repeal ICE funding.

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With Democrats now poised to control both chambers, the election could give the party renewed leverage to challenge the administration’s immigration policies, scrutinize ICE operations and seek limits on the agency’s funding. The results also drew fresh attention to the six Democrats who backed DHS funding that included money for ICE but still survived Republican challenges at the ballot box.

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Seven House Democrats voted for a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill on January 22. The measure passed 220-207, with seven Democrats joining 213 Republicans in voting in favor. A total of 206 Democrats voted against it, while Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the only Republican to oppose the bill.

The bill included funding for ICE alongside appropriations for other federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard and Transportation Security Administration.

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Four of the seven Democrats again crossed party lines on March 5 to support a similar DHS funding measure. {snip}

The vote sparked backlash from progressives who argued that the measure did not do enough to constrain the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations.

Several of the Democrats said at the time their votes were intended to protect funding for agencies such as FEMA and the Coast Guard rather than endorse ICE’s enforcement tactics.

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