Sen. Gallego Opposes Homeland Security Funding Amid ICE Shootings

Amidst growing concerns over recent immigration enforcement actions, Senator Ruben Gallego from Arizona has voiced strong opposition to proposed funding increases for the Department of Homeland Security. This stance follows two deadly incidents involving immigration officers this month, including a confrontation in Minneapolis where Border Patrol agents fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti.

Despite the U.S. House’s decision to allocate an additional $63 billion to DHS, Gallego and several other Democrats have signaled their intent to reject the Senate’s version of the funding bill. Gallego emphasized the need for an independent investigation into the recent shooting and criticized the current use of immigration officers, stating, “And we need to go back to real enforcement of our immigration laws, and not using these men and women, ICE agents, HSI agents, Border Patrol agents, as a private army of the White House.”

The incident in Minneapolis, combined with an increase in ICE operations in Arizona, has sparked further debate. State Representative Alma Hernandez shared an account of Venezuelan asylum seekers being detained by ICE agents during a routine stop outside a Tucson school. According to Hernandez, the family was confused as they had not committed any infractions. “She said they were all very confused because they weren’t speeding, they weren’t breaking the law, they weren’t doing anything reckless that would give someone probable cause to pull them over,” Hernandez recounted.

Gallego criticized the enforcement tactics, alleging that ICE is involved in racial profiling and causing distress within communities. “We have heard of people just being disappeared. We’ve seen reports of cars just being abandoned on the side of the road, and ICE just takes people,” he said, highlighting the fear and disorder such actions create.

Investigations into these incidents continue, with the hope that they offer clarity and accountability. Meanwhile, the debate over immigration policies and funding remains a contentious issue among lawmakers.