Ramirez Slams GOP $69B DHS Budget Proposal: “There is no way in hell that I am giving this administration one more dollar to violate our rights and criminalize our communities.”
Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) slammed Republicans for seeking to infuse $69B - without conditions - into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Secretary Kristi Noem, and Donald Trump to fund their unconstitutional, anti-immigrant, authoritarian agenda. During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing to vote and amend a budget for DHS, Ramirez called for Noem to resign for the long list of unconstitutional, illegal, and inhumane activities the Department has committed under her leadership.
The budget, which is part of a Republican framework to cut over $1.5 trillion in federal programs to provide multi-trillion-dollar tax breaks for mega-corporations and billionaires, includes $46.5 billion for new border barriers and $5 billion for new Customs and Border Protection detention facilities.
Video of Ramirez's remarks here:
Remarks as prepared for delivery:
“A few weeks ago, right from this dais, I talked about the hypocrisy of the Republican policies: gutting services working people rely on, while writing blank checks for their ultrawealthy bosses. Well, here we are again: Republicans are looking to cut $1.5 trillion in funding for our communities, but today we will consider a $69 billion infusion into an agency that is violating our rights, undermining due process, and blaming “administrative errors” for their criminal behavior. And this gift to Trump and Noem comes without oversight, which Republicans on this Committee have proven either unwilling or incapable of. Case in point, my request to conduct an oversight visit in El Salvador was publicly denied in the press, despite evidence that Noem spent $6 million in taxpayer dollars to disappear immigrants to a foreign prison without due process.
The Committee is considering this massive infusion of capital into the department without having held a single hearing with Secretary Noem - a request I have made several times to this body and make again today. Secretary Noem must come before this body and answer our questions about her Department’s unconstitutional, illegal, and inhumane activities. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to include in the record a letter requesting Noem to come before the committee to testify.
In case there is any question about what those unconstitutional, illegal, and inhumane activities are, let’s revisit some of them for the record!
Republicans are seeking to fund the wasteful spending of this Administration after Trump and Noem already wasted $300 million in 6 weeks to militarize the border.
The Administration says they are committed to “legal immigration” while they cruelly canceled the appointments of thousands of immigrants who legally sought asylum in our country.
Trump and Noem have denied children as young as 2-year-old their basic right to face immigration proceedings with a lawyer, including children going through cancer treatment.
Since January, Trump and Noem have used ICE to terrorize our communities, profiling Latinos and arresting U.S. citizens, like the man who was detained in Chicago after buying a slice of pizza despite carrying his ID and Social Security card, and the Puerto Rican veteran in New Jersey.
These are the same people who launched a $200M anti-immigrant ad campaign.
And then last month, in violation of court orders, Secretary Noem acted on the fascist dreams of her leader and sent immigrants to off-shore detention camps.
Noem wasted millions to fly immigrants *without* criminal records to Guantanamo.
And then she decided to enter into a $6 million deal with the El Salvador government to disappear and “mistakenly” deport a legal resident – Kilmar Abrego Garcia–, a hairdresser, soccer players, 8 women– to a men's prison–, and a long list of immigrants without criminal records.
The list includes a young man from Chicago, whose family has no idea how to reach after recognizing him in an authoritarian propaganda video of Noem touring the prison.
All while Trump, Noem, and Rubio weaponize immigration enforcement against activist and dissenting voices, like legal permanent resident Mahmoud Khalil, international student Rumeysa Ozturk, and labor rights organizer Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez.
In three months, Trump and Noem have abused the power of the Department of Homeland Security to pursue a campaign of persecution, mass incarceration, and deportation. Day after day, Noem disregards the authority of Congress, the laws of the land, the constitutional rights of residents, the courts, due process, and every check and balance that protects us from fascist authoritarians.
There is NO WAY IN HELL that I am giving this administration one more dollar to violate our rights and criminalize our communities.
And further, Noem must resign from her position as Secretary of Homeland Security. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to include in the record a letter demanding Noem’s resignation as the Secretary of Homeland Security.
I yield back.”
For the full text of the letter demanding that Noem come to the committee, CLICK HERE.
For the full text of the letter demanding Noem’s resignation, CLICK HERE.
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