Here’s how to constrain ICE

Senators vote tomorrow on ICE’s funding. Call them and tell them to vote NO.

Greg Casar speaks at a rally against ICE in Austin, Texas, on January 10

Friends,

Apologies for intruding on your inbox again, but the Senate will vote on ICE funding TOMORROW. Please call your senators now at 202-224-3121 and say NO more funding for ICE.

You might hear from some skeptics that this will do no good because ICE can merely tap the $75 billion that Republicans gave it in their Big Ugly bill.

True, but misleading. The current Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill includes an extra $10 billion for ICE. No reason in hell why ICE should have that.

You’ll also hear from skeptics that if Democratic senators don’t vote for the appropriations bill, they’ll be tying up funding for seven other departments, too. (The same appropriations bill funds Defense, Treasury, Heath and Human Services, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Education). The result will be another government shutdown.

True, but the whole point here is leverage. Democrats never voted for the Big Ugly in the first place. This is their one opportunity to constrain ICE.

The only way ICE should get any funding is if its agents are (1) prohibited from carrying and using firearms, stun guns, tear gas, pepper spray, or any other potentially lethal or injurious weapon or chemical; (2) required to get warrants before searching homes or automobiles or places of work or worship; (3) clearly identified with their vehicles clearly identified; (4) prohibited from making stops or arrests based on someone’s appearance.

If Senate Dems (and the two Independent senators who caucus with the Dems — Angus King and Bernie Sanders) vote NO tomorrow, it will give them bargaining leverage to get such constraints on ICE.

And it will put Senate Republicans in a bind. Republicans will either have to accept the constraints on ICE or take the heat for another shutdown.

Bottom line: All Senate Democrats (plus Senators King and Sanders) must vote tomorrow against the appropriations bill. Please call your senators today and say NO more funding for ICE. Again: 202-224-3121.