U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday escalated a growing congressional revolt against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, demanding that no additional funding be approved while the agency remains under the leadership of officials he says are responsible for deadly and unchecked federal violence. His remarks came as Congress weighs billions in Department of Homeland Security funding and as fallout continues from the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Sanders described ICE as a “domestic military force” that is “terrorizing” communities across the country. He pointed to federal operations in Minnesota and Maine, where officers have carried out what he called “horrific and deadly abuses,” and argued that Congress cannot continue financing an agency operating without accountability.
Sanders said that “not another penny should be given” to ICE or Customs and Border Protection “unless there are fundamental reforms in how those agencies function and until there is new leadership at the Department of Homeland Security and among those who run our immigration policy.” He then named the officials he said must be removed. “To be clear, Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller must go,” Sanders said.
The Vermont senator directly linked his funding demand to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens who were killed this month by federal agents in Minneapolis. Sanders condemned efforts by the Trump administration to smear both individuals after their deaths, arguing that false narratives were being used to shield federal authorities from scrutiny.
Sanders placed the killings within what he described as President Donald Trump’s broader “movement toward authoritarianism,” warning that ICE’s expanding power, combined with political cover from the White House, has produced a system in which lethal force is deployed with little transparency or restraint.
The funding fight is unfolding as the Senate considers a package of six FY2026 appropriations bills that includes more than $64 billion for DHS, with $10 billion earmarked for ICE. Democrats have pushed to separate DHS funding from the broader package and have insisted that reforms be attached to any money directed toward immigration enforcement.
Sanders has proposed repealing a $75 billion ICE funding boost approved by Republicans last summer. He has also called for an end to warrantless arrests, the unmasking of ICE and CBP agents, and additional restrictions on enforcement authority as conditions for future funding.
At the same time, negotiations are underway to prevent a government shutdown. Punchbowl reported Thursday morning that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Trump White House are “negotiating a framework to pass five of the six outstanding FY2026 funding bills, as well as a stopgap measure for the Department of Homeland Security.”
According to Punchbowl, “Under this framework, Congress would pass a short-term DHS patch to allow for negotiations to continue over new limits on ICE and CBP agents as they implement President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.” The outlet added, “If Schumer and the White House come to an agreement, there would still likely be a funding lapse over the weekend. The House, which is slated to return Monday, would have to pass the five-bill spending package and the DHS stopgap.”
As the funding debate intensifies, pressure has mounted within the Democratic caucus to remove Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. In the aftermath of Pretti’s killing, Noem falsely claimed that he “arrived at the scene” in Minneapolis “to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.” According to the reporting you provided, Noem later attempted to blame Stephen Miller for the false statement. Miller also smeared Pretti.
The response has been swift. More than three quarters of the House Democratic caucus is now backing articles of impeachment against Noem, accusing her of obstruction of Congress, violation of the public trust, and self dealing. Despite those calls, Trump has rejected demands for her removal, saying he and Noem “have a very good relationship.”
Rep. Robin Kelly, who is leading the impeachment effort, said the administration’s response to the killings underscores a lack of accountability at the highest levels of DHS. The two agents who shot and killed Pretti have been placed on leave, but Noem has remained in her position.
“The two agents who shot and killed Alex Pretti are now on leave, but Trump still backs Noem instead of firing her,” Kelly said. “I’m leading 174 members with articles of impeachment against Noem. The public is crying out for change. Enough is enough.”
Sanders and other Democrats have warned that continuing to fund ICE without leadership changes would entrench what they view as a dangerous enforcement regime, one increasingly insulated from oversight even as its operations result in civilian deaths. As Congress moves closer to a shutdown deadline, the confrontation over ICE funding has become a test of whether lawmakers are willing to tie federal dollars to accountability when lives are lost.
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