WASHINGTON — The American Civil Liberties Union is criticizing a narrow U.S. House vote on an appropriations bill that would significantly increase funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement without adding new accountability measures, warning that the legislation would expand enforcement power at a moment of heightened public concern. According to the ACLU, the bill would add billions of dollars to the more than $170 billion already allocated for immigration enforcement under the One Big Beautiful Border Bill Act passed in July 2025.
The House vote comes as public concern over Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol actions has intensified nationwide. The ACLU reports that outrage has grown following widespread allegations of violence and abuse by federal immigration agencies, including escalated enforcement operations in Minneapolis. In a statement, the ACLU said recent public opinion polling shows ICE’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest point since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
Civil rights advocates warned that Senate passage would amount to congressional approval of ICE’s actions despite mounting concerns about constitutional violations. The ACLU argued that the bill fails to impose limits on an agency already accused of operating with little oversight or accountability.
Kate Voigt, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, condemned the House’s decision, saying it ignores both public opinion and the real impacts on communities. “The House vote in favor of excessive funding for ICE with no meaningful accountability measures is wildly out of touch with polling that shows the majority of voters oppose ICE and Border Patrol’s attacks on our communities,” Voigt said in the ACLU’s official statement.
According to the ACLU, increasing ICE’s budget without restrictions will intensify enforcement practices that harm families and communities, including U.S. citizens. Voigt warned that the bill could further erode civil liberties and democratic values. “The billions in funding in this bill will only embolden ICE and CBP to continue arresting our neighbors, immigrants and U.S. citizens, no matter the costs to our communities, economy, and integrity of our Constitution,” she said.
Despite the bill’s passage, the ACLU acknowledged lawmakers who voted against the legislation, noting that the close margin reflects deep divisions within Congress. In its statement, the ACLU urged the Senate to reject the bill and prevent additional funding from enabling what it calls reckless and harmful enforcement practices.
“While the House narrowly passed this bill, we thank the Members of Congress who held the line and voted against this harmful legislation,” Voigt said, according to the ACLU. “Now we need our senators to hold firm and refuse to be complicit in fueling ICE’s reckless abuses in our communities.”
As the legislation moves to the Senate, immigration enforcement and government accountability are expected to remain central topics in the national debate, particularly as trust in federal immigration agencies continues to decline.
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