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July 12, 2019

Thompson NDAA Amendment Passes House to Ban ICE from Using DoD Facilities

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement following House passage of an Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act he sponsored to prohibit any Department of Defense resources from being used to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to expand its detention capacity.

“We have already seen President Trump defy the will of Congress on border wall funding. When Congress refused to fund his ineffective and wasteful border wall, he went to other departments to fund it. The passage of this amendment prevents DoD funding from being used as President Trump’s personal piggy bank to circumvent the will of Congress. The Trump Administration cannot be allowed to turn to the Pentagon every time it has a new demand. 

“ICE continually spends beyond its means and then expects to be bailed out. This cannot go on. ICE must operate within its appropriated limit and make more strategic decisions about who to detain. ICE should prioritize detaining those who pose a serious threat to our society. ICE must also utilize alternatives to detention that have proven to be reliable, effective, and are much cheaper. ICE cannot be given a blank check.” 

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