ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Jayapal pushes for agency reforms as DHS funds stalled
She went on to accuse federal agencies of detaining and killing not just immigrants but also U.S. citizens.
-
Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Mon, 23, Mar 2026
- 05:09 EDT
- 20
Rep. Pramila Jayapal / Wikimedia commons
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has issued a statement against the Trump administration, accusing Republicans of stopping reforms in federal immigration agencies amid a DHS funding freeze.
Largely divided on partisan lines, Democrats have refused to sign off on DHS funding until the other side agrees to bring changes in the working and training of federal immigration officers, a demand that has been rejected.
As the two parties lock horns over DHS funding and reform for the second time in six months, tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration personnel working under DHS have worked without pay for five weeks, leading some airport security workers to call in sick or quit entirely. TSA absences this weekend reached their highest level since the partial government shutdown began, DHS said on March 22.
ALSO READ: Jayapal slams Deporting Fraudsters Act as assault on due process
Congresswoman Jayapal described the proposed changes as “meaningful and fundamental reforms to the lawless way in which ICE, CBP and DHS have been operating, kidnapping and detaining immigrants of all immigration statuses.”
She went on to accuse federal agencies of detaining and killing not just immigrants but also U.S. citizens who, according to her, were merely “exercising their right to peaceful protest.”
She attributed the Democrats’ refusal to fund DHS to the stalemate on DHS reform.
In an attempt to heighten pressure on Democrats, Trump also claimed that he would put ICE agents in airports until Democratic lawmakers agree to a DHS budget bill.
Reacting to it, Jayapal said, “Democrats are ready to pass funding to ensure that TSA workers are immediately paid, but instead, Trump and Republicans now want to deploy ICE agents to airports across the country to try and once again terrorize our communities.”
She accused ICE of not having sufficient training to function as TSA agents and described the move as a “thinly veiled attempt to intimidate people during travel.”
She continued, “We have seen the chaos and havoc that ICE has brought to our communities. The American people do not want that same chaos and cruelty injected into air travel. It will not make any of us safer.”
In another key update, Trump has further tightened the noose around DHS funding by asking fellow Republicans not to reach an agreement on funding DHS until Democrats in Congress approve a bill requiring people registering to vote to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, creating a scenario where both sides agree on not funding DHS but differ on why they won’t fund the agency.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Trump wants to send ICE agents to US airports. This will not make any of us safer. Read my full statement. pic.twitter.com/8den08w3q9
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) March 22, 2026
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login