House Democrats are continuing to rail against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its immigration enforcement arm, with Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) making it clear that he will not support any additional funding for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as long as its current leadership and practices remain in place.
During an appearance on MS NOW with Chris Hayes, McGovern—who serves as the ranking member of the House Rules Committee—delivered a blistering assessment of Secretary Kristi Noem, saying she should be “fired or impeached” following the brutal killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti—both of whom were smeared as “domestic terrorists” by Trump administration officials, including Noem herself.
The Massachusetts Democrat reiterated his long-standing position that ICE, as currently structured, should be abolished. He noted that the United States functioned for more than two centuries without the agency and argued that public trust in it has eroded beyond repair.
“There’s no trust in ICE, there’s no trust in Kristi Noem,” McGovern said, adding that the agency’s actions are “sowing chaos and confusion” and, in some cases, leading to the deaths of American citizens.
McGovern: ‘I Can’t Imagine Voting One More Cent To Support Kristi Noem And Her Agency’
Hayes outlined the range of positions being debated among Democrats—from withholding funds for ICE or DHS unless leadership changes are made, to more sweeping demands such as eliminating the agency or even reconsidering the existence of the Department of Homeland Security itself.
McGovern said the immediate focus should be on separating ICE funding from the rest of DHS, emphasizing that other components of the department perform essential functions.
“The Coast Guard deserves to be funded. You know, TSA deserves to be funded. FEMA deserves to be funded,” he stated. “But I can’t, in good conscience—not just as a member of Congress, but just as somebody who cares about human rights—vote one more cent for this agency.”
McGovern added that he is hearing growing pressure from constituents and even strangers in public to take a harder line against the administration’s immigration policies. According to McGovern, some of his Republican colleagues privately share concerns about DHS leadership and ICE operations, but are unwilling to act on them.
“But when push comes to shove, they’re too afraid of the guy in the White House to vote their conscience,” he said. “And that’s quite frankly unforgivable.”
