Texas House Democrats Demand DHS Funding Changes Amid Deaths in ICE Custody
A coalition of 46 Texas House Democrats is demanding that U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz oppose the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill unless it is amended to curb what they describe as abusive and deadly immigration enforcement practices.
The letter, led by State Rep. Linda Garcia, represents nearly one-third of the Texas House of Representatives and comes amid rising national concern over deaths in federal immigration custody and the escalation of enforcement tactics.
Deaths in Custody and Escalating Enforcement
The lawmakers point to multiple recent incidents, including the detention of a 5-year-old Minnesota child with his father at the Dilley Detention Center in Texas, the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, and a Texas medical examiner’s ruling that the death of Geraldo Lunas Camposat in immigration custody was a homicide.
According to the letter, deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection custody have reached a 20-year high since President Donald Trump’s second term began, with at least 53 reported deaths nationwide.
Criticism of ICE Tactics
The letter documents what lawmakers describe as a pattern of reckless conduct by DHS and ICE, including detentions at immigration courthouses, ICE check-ins, neighborhoods, and areas near schools. The lawmakers argue that these actions destabilize families and erode public trust, impacting people of all immigration statuses, including U.S. citizens.
“The Trump administration has turned immigration enforcement into a killing spree,” Garcia said. “Deaths in immigration custody have hit a twenty-year high since President Trump’s second term began. This state-sponsored violence is a crisis — Senators Cornyn and Cruz have the power to demand accountability before voting to fund this agency.”
Calls for Specific Reforms
The Texas House Democrats are demanding six amendments to the DHS funding bill, including:
• Reducing and restricting DHS funding levels
• Imposing strict limits on the use of force by ICE and CBP
• Requiring judicial warrants and due process for all detentions
• Ending family detention and prioritizing family reunification
• Mandating independent investigations into all civilian deaths in federal custody
• Establishing meaningful accountability for misconduct by federal agents
As of mid-December, ICE was holding more than 68,000 individuals in detention, with nearly 75 percent having no criminal convictions, according to data cited in the letter.
“Texans Are Watching”
Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said the current enforcement approach represents a deliberate departure from past administrations of both parties.
“For decades, presidents of both parties managed immigration enforcement without militarizing our neighborhoods or treating civilians as enemy combatants,” Wu said. “What we’re seeing now — deaths in custody at record highs, families torn apart, tear gas and pellet guns in our communities — is a choice.”
The DHS funding bill is currently before the U.S. Senate with a January 30 deadline.
