Jeffries Opens Door to Cutting ICE Funds Ahead of 2026 Midterms

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries signalled on 7 July that Democrats may consider reducing or blocking funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they regain control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections. Speaking on ABC’s “The View,” the New York Democrat said the party is examining the appropriations process as a tool to curb what he called ICE’s “overly aggressive” tactics under President Donald Trump. Jeffries accused the administration of targeting “law-abiding immigrant families” instead of focusing on violent offenders, and said Congress must exercise “aggressive oversight” of both ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. While he stopped short of formally endorsing a defund-ICE proposal, Jeffries declined to rule it out, framing the option as part of a broader Democratic effort to reshape immigration enforcement and protect dreamers, farm workers and other non-citizens who have not committed crimes. Republicans are expected to oppose any move to scale back the agency’s budget. Trump this year signed legislation providing $100 billion for border security, including $30 billion to hire and train additional ICE agents. Any attempt by a Democratic-controlled House to cut funding would still face a likely veto as long as Trump remains in office through 2029.