March 27th, 2026Heinrich Statement on DHS Appropriations

WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after Senate Republicans agreed to Senate Democrats’ demand to fund agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that are not responsible for immigration enforcement — including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and U.S. Coast Guard.
Heinrich and Senate Democrats have made14 attemptsto fund the TSA, FEMA, CISA, and Coast Guard, but Senate Republicans blocked every effort. Heinrich hasstatedthat he will not fund DHS’ immigration enforcement efforts without any commonsense reforms to address lawlessness by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“From the start, I’ve been clear: we must fund TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard. Instead, Republicans dragged out a shutdown of those entities for 41 days — forcing TSA agents to go without pay and sending Americans’ travel into turmoil — before finally agreeing to fund the parts of DHS not responsible for immigration enforcement. That chaos was entirely avoidable.
“These appropriations are a step in the right direction. And my position remains the same: I will not support funding ICE without real reforms and a restoration to the rule of law. This agency must be held to the same standards as every local law enforcement department in New Mexico and across this country.”
Heinrich remains committed to reforming and reining in DHS to get them focused on human traffickers, not harassing children, attacking communities, and killing American citizens.
For months, Heinrich, a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, hasvoted againstadvancing funding for DHS without any commonsense reforms to address lawlessness by the agency.
In January, Heinrichopposedfunding for DHS because it did not include commonsense reforms andmade it clearthat, “We need a restoration of the rule of law within immigration enforcement.” Heinrich alsocalledon former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or be fired due to DHS’ lawlessness, including the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.
For more information on Heinrich’s actions to protect Americans, Tribal members, and Dreamers from wrongful searches and harassment by ICE, clickhere.
For more information on Heinrich’s actions to support local law enforcement with the tools they need to keep our communities safe, clickhere.
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