Democrats Condition DHS Funding on Citizen Protection Ban

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced Thursday that Democrats will condition their support for a Department of Homeland Security funding bill on an explicit prohibition against the agency detaining or deporting U.S. citizens, a practice already barred by federal law. Speaking at a Capitol press conference, Jeffries emphasized the need for clear safeguards amid reports of immigration enforcement actions affecting American citizens.

The demand comes as the Trump administration intensifies immigration raids, including operations in cities like Minneapolis, where clashes between protesters and federal agents have led to the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens. Federal officials have faced accusations of violating court orders nearly 100 times in recent weeks, according to a federal judge's ruling. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been reported to detain individuals without proper warrants, sometimes in broad sweeps that include citizens, despite the Immigration and Nationality Act's restrictions on such actions and a 1958 Supreme Court decision deeming citizenship stripping unconstitutional.

Jeffries told reporters that the Democratic caucus views the ban...