SCOOP: Hispanic Caucus Seeks Firewall Between Pentagon and ICE
Lawmakers file amendments to block Defense Department resources from fueling deportation and detention operations.
WASHINGTON — The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is pushing a slate of immigration-related amendments as the House takes up the annual defense authorization bill, staking out opposition to what they describe as the militarization of immigration enforcement.
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Among the proposals:
DoD data protections: Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), chair of the CHC, teamed up with Reps. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) to direct the Defense Department to use secure, interoperable databases when sharing information with DHS — an effort aimed at preventing misuse of Pentagon systems in immigration enforcement.
Ban on military funding for deportation flights: Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), with Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), filed an amendment prohibiting funds for the Navy and Marine Corps to be used in support of ICE deportation operations.
Restriction on Pentagon support to ICE: Another Frost amendment, this time with Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (D-Ill.), would block the Defense Department from using its resources to aid immigration enforcement at the border.
Oversight on DoD immigration involvement: Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.), along with several Democrats, offered language requiring the Pentagon inspector general to report on the military’s role in detention and deportation operations.
Ban on housing migrants in military facilities: Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) and Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) submitted an amendment to prevent DoD installations from being used as migrant detention centers.
So far, most of the amendments remain “submitted” rather than “made in order” for floor debate — meaning House leadership will decide if they receive votes.
The Hispanic Caucus’ push comes as Republicans seek to expand the Pentagon’s role in border enforcement, including proposals to authorize troop deployments for mass deportation operations. CHC members argue their counter-amendments are necessary to draw clear lines between defense policy and immigration enforcement.
“The military should never be turned into an extension of ICE,” one Democratic aide said. “Our amendments are about accountability and making sure DoD resources aren’t weaponized against migrant communities.”
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The “Ban on housing migrants in military facilities” amendment looks like its limited to a ban on detaining children in military facilities and would still allow for military facilities to detain adults immigrants