U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) has criticized congressional Republican leaders for advancing a Homeland Security spending bill that increases funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without what he describes as adequate oversight. Stanton voted against the FY26 bill, stating it lacks mechanisms to hold agents accountable when laws are broken.
“Here in Arizona, ICE has detained a member of the Navajo Nation even after he showed proof of U.S. citizenship and held a U.S. citizen for nearly ten days in Nogales. This pattern of reckless enforcement with no regard for basic civil rights must be stopped,” Stanton said. “Without real, enforceable oversight that holds agents who break the law responsible, ICE will only get worse. I cannot vote to fund a paramilitary-style mass deportation operation that keeps getting it wrong and hurting so many Arizonans.”
Stanton has previously voiced concerns about ICE’s enforcement practices and recently helped introduce two bills aimed at improving accountability within federal immigration enforcement. This week, he introduced the PUBLIC SAFETY Act alongside Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH) and Susie Lee (D-NV). The legislation proposes redirecting nearly $75 billion from congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) to local law enforcement agencies.
The bill would allocate $29.85 billion from OBBBA funds originally intended for ICE operations to the COPS Hiring Program, which could allow for the hiring of over 200,000 local police officers across the country. It would also waive matching contribution requirements for small jurisdictions under this program and shift $45 billion from OBBBA funds set aside for expanding ICE detention capacity to the Byrne JAG program, which supports training, crime victim assistance, and crime prevention efforts.
According to Stanton’s office, this proposal would not affect ICE’s standard appropriations, maintaining historical funding levels for traditional immigration enforcement activities.
“While departments around the country are struggling to recruit and retain officers, the Trump Administration funnelled $75 billion in taxpayer funds towards its poorly trained mass deportation force,” Stanton said. “They’re not making Americans safer – they’re causing chaos and fear. My legislation gives police officers what they need to keep us safe, while reining in the abuses of ICE.”
Stanton has represented Arizona’s 4th Congressional District since defeating Kelly Cooper in both 2022 and 2024 general elections.
More information can be found at https://stanton.house.gov/2026/1/stanton-opposes-ice-funding-bill-without-increased-oversight-demands-accountability
