On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) announced their intention to vote against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill in a closed-door meeting with Democrats. The move is widely viewed as an effort by Democratic leaders to placate a growing bloc within their party that has demanded defunding of the agency over its ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations targeting illegal immigrants.
The announcement follows heightened tensions after anti-ICE activist Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot in Minneapolis while attempting to run over an ICE agent. More radical progressive House Democrats have intensified their calls for the party to oppose the DHS funding bill, asserting that it fails to meet their demands for substantial reforms to ICE operations.
Despite their opposition, Democratic leaders are not expected to actively whip members against the bill. Instead, a group of moderate Democrats is anticipated to support the legislation, while the majority of the House Democratic Caucus remains opposed. Rep. Enrique “Henry” Cuellar (D-TX), a key member on the Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee, has called for his colleagues to back the bill, highlighting specific provisions such as $20 million allocated for body cameras for ICE personnel.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who played a role in negotiating the broader spending package, emphasized the urgency of passing the bill to avoid a government shutdown. While acknowledging its limitations in achieving comprehensive ICE reforms, she stressed the need to move forward with the legislation, stating: “I signed off. Let’s go. Let’s move. And people will decide what they want to.”
