Arizona Sens. Gallego, Kelly threaten funding in push for changes to immigration enforcement

PHOENIX – Arizona’s two U.S. senators are part of a Democratic effort to withhold Homeland Security funding as a way to force changes in immigration enforcement.

The showdown over funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies in the wake of fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis could lead to a partial government shutdown.

“Unfortunately, it’s the only lever we have, and it’s something that I feel I have to take at this point because they are murdering U.S. citizens,” Sen. Ruben Gallego told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos on Tuesday. “There’s a way for us to basically pass everything that we need for government to be funded except for ICE. And even ICE would still be functioning at a certain level anyway to basically go after the bad guys, but not the mass suppression that it has there.”

What changes in immigration enforcement do Democratic senators want?

Gallego said he wants senators from both parties to reach a compromise on the issue.

“I think Republicans and Democrats and independents in general want safe immigration enforcement,” he said. “They want these guys to go after the bad guys. They want them to use warrants. Don’t go into people’s houses without their permission. … And you need to also have proper force when you’re doing all this.”

The first-term senator from Phoenix also wants ICE to stop racial profiling and stay out of schools.

“You can’t be arresting, detaining citizens and not telling people where they are, which is happening right now,” he added. “You can’t be doing this mass oppression that you’re seeing right now.”

Sen. Mark Kelly wants Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller out

Meanwhile, fellow Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to express his concerns about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.

“As Republicans and Democrats, as Americans, we should all demand better. And we should use our power to make that happen. That’s why I will not vote for the Department of Homeland Security budget this week because that agency needs an overhaul from the top down and the bottom up,” Kelly said.

Kelly also called for the ouster of Homeland Security Security Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

According to The Associated Press, the White House may be open to striking a deal to avert a shutdown. The two sides have been discussing a possible agreement to separate Homeland Security funding from the rest of the legislation and fund it for a short time, the wire service reported.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Wednesday that Democrats won’t provide needed votes until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “reined in and overhauled.”

Democrats vote Thursday to block DHS funding

On Thursday, Kelly and Gallego cast votes that helped Democrats block legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies.

“I cannot vote to give ICE and Border Patrol more money to terrorize our communities until we see significant changes to how these agencies operate,” Gallego said in a statement. “That includes stop terrorizing our cities, professionalizing our law enforcement, increasing accountability, and bringing ICE back to its core mission of keeping communities safe.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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