GOP Reacts To House Dems Unanimously Rejecting ICE Funding

The House passed the Secure America Act on Tuesday in a razor-thin 214–212 vote that delivers a whopping $70 billion immigration enforcement package — including $38 billion for ICE and $26 billion for Customs and Border Protection.

Not one Democrat voted yes.

Republicans wasted zero time going for the jugular.

“House Democrats’ main constituency is illegal immigrants and criminals,” blasted RNC Chairman Joe Gruters. “Democrats have now voted dozens of times against funding ICE, Border Patrol, and DHS, repeatedly siding with open borders over law and order.”

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) was equally scorching. “For 76 days, Democrats held the Department of Homeland Security hostage,” he fumed. “They walked away from the appropriations process, shut down Homeland Security operations, and used the safety of the American people as political leverage. Even today, every single House Democrat voted to defund ICE and Border Patrol.”

The GOP framed the Democratic no-votes as the latest chapter in what they called a relentless, systematic effort to kneecap President Donald Trump’s border security agenda. Republicans noted it marked the 37th time Senate and House Democrats have voted against border security measures — a stat they are clearly planning to weaponize heading into the midterms.

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella didn’t exactly reach for diplomatic language either. “House Democrats just told every cop, every border agent, and every American family to drop dead,” he said. “Their soft-on-crime, open-border agenda has already devastated communities across the country, and they just proved they still haven’t learned a thing.”

Democrats tried to spin their unanimous “no” votes as something other than opposing immigration enforcement. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) argued the bill handed ICE a “blank check” with no “guardrails, oversight, or accountability.” One independent member also voted against the bill.

Republicans weren’t buying it for a second.

Arrington framed the bill’s passage as a direct mandate from voters. “The American people fundamentally rejected the chaos of the last four years,” he said. “They elected Republicans for the promise of secure borders, safer communities, and restoring rule of law. The Secure America Act makes good on that promise.”

The legislation now heads to President Trump’s desk, locking in ICE and Border Patrol funding through 2029 — a major win for a White House that has made border enforcement the centerpiece of its domestic agenda.

Democrats handed Republicans a gift-wrapped attack ad.

And the GOP is already running with it.