Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Scott Peters (CA-50) released the following statement ahead of tonight's shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

“Last week, Congress came together to fully fund 11 of the 12 government spending bills for fiscal year 2026. We also voted to keep the government open and to negotiate on the Department of Homeland Security for one week. But with tonight's deadline looming on these negotiations, we may enter another partial government shutdown.

“DHS oversees ICE and for months I’ve been clear that their agents are not making our communities safer. They have militarized our cities, torn families apart, and even killed U.S. citizens. They have carried out operations while wearing masks, using unchecked force, and aggressively deploying tear gas, pepper balls, and flashbangs. ICE cannot continue in its current form, and Secretary Noem should be impeached. But shutting down all of DHS will not achieve meaningful reform or remove Secretary Noem from power. And I am deeply disappointed that my colleagues are using a shutdown to negotiate.

“To be clear, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans already handed ICE $75 billion in supplemental funding through their so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ on top of its annual budget. A shutdown of Homeland in its entirety would not stop ICE from operating or receiving funding. ICE agents would be deemed essential employees and would continue their work.

“What a shutdown would do is disrupt vital agencies within Homeland, including FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and CISA – not ICE. Not only would this jeopardize the livelihoods of vital employees, but it risks our disaster response, aviation security, maritime safety, and cybersecurity. That’s reckless and indefensible.

“Nevertheless, Republicans already outsized funding for ICE last year. But that does not mean reform efforts stop now. We need a real solution that avoids a shutdown while holding ICE and Secretary Noem accountable. That’s why I cosponsored legislation to provide full-year funding for essential Homeland components like FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and CISA while excluding funding for ICE and Secretary Noem’s office. Negotiations over reforms and future funding for ICE can and should continue separately – we cannot let a shutdown become the new norm.

“When Democrats and Republicans came together two weeks ago, we were able to protect critical investments that matter deeply to San Diego and Americans across the country. That includes funding for Community Health Centers, the National Institutes of Health, and Head Start. We need to bring that same responsible approach to Homeland.

“Shutdowns create chaos. Governing requires compromise. I am committed to funding the agencies that keep our communities safe and push for real reform and accountability for ICE.”

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