Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, speaks at a news conference with members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus on January 13, 2026. At left is a photo of Renee Good, 37, who was killed by an immigration officer in Minneapolis. (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON — Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus announced Tuesday that they will oppose any federal funding for immigration enforcement following the fatal shooting of a woman by an immigration agent in Minneapolis.
“Our caucus will oppose any funding for immigration enforcement in any budget bill until significant reforms are passed to end militarized policing practices,” Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who represents Minneapolis, said during a news conference.
Last week, Federal immigration agent Jonathan Ross killed 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis, where immigration enforcement has increased dramatically in weeks amid allegations of fraud. After the shooting massive protests Protests erupted in Minnesota and across the country against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement.
The US Senate is making progress with the remaining budget proposals for Congress to avoid a partial shutdown until January 30, and negotiations over funding for the Department of Homeland Security continue. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “one of the biggest issues facing appropriators right now.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota said the Homeland budget proposal is “obviously the most difficult issue” and that blanket funding or a rolling solution for the agency is the likely outcome.
Members of the Progressive Caucus are pushing for reforms including a ban on the wearing of face coverings by federal immigration agents, a no-knock warrant requirement and greater oversight of private detention centers that hold immigrants.
Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal said Congress also needs to pass legislation to pay back the billions allocated to the Department of Homeland Security last summer under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Republicans’ massive spending and tax cut package gave DHS a huge immigration enforcement budget augment of about $175 billion.
“We must urgently pass legislation to roll back excessive funding for immigration enforcement,” Jayapal said in the package of spending and tax cuts. “We cannot support additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security without making serious, meaningful and significant reforms to the way federal agencies conduct their activities in our cities, our towns, and our neighborhoods.”
Progressives are pushing for Jeffries
The Progressive Caucus has nearly 100 Democratic House members. Members who attended the press conference included Omar, Jayapal, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Chuy Garcia of Illinois, Delia Ramirez of Illinois and Maxine Dexter of Oregon.
Garcia, the chair of the Progressive Caucus, said the group has informed House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries of its position, but did not say whether Jeffries supports cutting DHS funding.
“They are very concerned, and they also share our opinion, that we need to do something to bring about reform, to bring about change, to stop the lawlessness, the cruelty and the abuse of power that is taking place within ICE (Customs and Border Protection) and DHS,” he said of the Democratic leadership.
While Democrats control neither chamber, one tool lawmakers have used as part of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration campaign is the power of congressional oversight of federal facilities that house immigrants and are funded by Congress.
But after the shooting in Minnesota several legislators were denied a supervisory visit to a federal ICE facility, a move Democrats say violates a court order.
An emergency hearing will be held Wednesday in the District Court of the District of Columbia on a up-to-date Trump administration policy that says these facilities will be funded by the spending and tax cuts package and therefore exempt from unannounced oversight visits.
Jayapal called the argument “a nonsense argument, and hopefully the court will recognize that.”
Investigations urgently needed
Jayapal added that there must also be “independent investigations of lawlessness and violence by immigration officials and border patrol agents and meaningful consequences for those who commit these violent acts, rather than a slap on the wrist.”
Dexter, who represents part of Portland, Oregon, where two people were shot by CBP The same week Good was shot, agreed.
“One thing is absolutely clear: When a police officer fires a weapon in a community, the public needs to have questions answered,” Dexter said.
Ramirez said there needs to be greater accountability that goes beyond budgetary appropriations and said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should be impeached.
Illinois Democratic Rep. Robin Kelly plans to impeach Noem on three grounds: obstruction of Congress, violation of the public trust and self-dealing. While such a move would likely win in the House, Republicans currently control the chamber by a very narrow margin.
“DHS and ICE have been empowered by a lack of oversight and too much latitude to violate our rights under the guise of safety and security,” Ramirez said.
Frost said Congress must assert its control over the funds as a check against the Trump administration.
“We cannot rely on this administration to police itself and put an end to the enforcement practices that terrorize our communities,” Frost said.
Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report.
