LEADERS JEFFRIES AND SCHUMER DELIVER URGENT ICE REFORM DEMANDS TO REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP

February 4, 2026

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sent the following letter to Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson laying out clear legislative actions to rein in ICE and stop the violence. The full text of the letter can be seen here and below:

Dear Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune:

We write with respect to fiscal year 2026 funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). For months, the American people have watched in horror as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has terrorized communities across the country. After months of escalation against everyday Americans and law-abiding immigrant families, two U.S. citizens were killed in the streets of Minneapolis. Federal immigration agents cannot continue to cause chaos in our cities while using taxpayer money that should be used to make life more affordable for working families. The American people rightfully expect their elected representatives to take action to rein in ICE and ensure no more lives are lost. It is critical that we come together to impose common sense reforms and accountability measures that the American people are demanding. We believe Congress needs to enact the following guardrails:

Targeted Enforcement – DHS officers cannot enter private property without a judicial warrant. End indiscriminate arrests and improve warrant procedures and standards. Require verification that a person is not a U.S. citizen before holding them in immigration detention.
No Masks – Prohibit ICE and immigration enforcement agents from wearing face coverings.
Require ID – Require DHS officers conducting immigration enforcement to display their agency, unique ID number and last name. Require them to verbalize their ID number and last name if asked.
Protect Sensitive Locations – Prohibit funds from being used to conduct enforcement near sensitive locations, including medical facilities, schools, child-care facilities, churches, polling places, courts, etc.
Stop Racial Profiling – Prohibit DHS officers from conducting stops, questioning and searches based on an individual’s presence at certain locations, their job, their spoken language and accent or their race and ethnicity.
Uphold Use of Force Standards – Place into law a reasonable use of force policy, expand training and require certification of officers. In the case of an incident, the officer must be removed from the field until an investigation is conducted.
Ensure State and Local Coordination and Oversight – Preserve the ability of State and local jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute potential crimes and use of excessive force incidents. Require that evidence is preserved and shared with jurisdictions. Require the consent of States and localities to conduct large-scale operations outside of targeted immigration enforcement.
Build Safeguards into the System – Make clear that all buildings where people are detained must abide by the same basic detention standards that require immediate access to a person’s attorney to prevent citizen arrests or detention. Allow states to sue DHS for violations of all requirements. Prohibit limitations on Member visits to ICE facilities regardless of how those facilities are funded.
Body Cameras for Accountability, Not Tracking – Require use of body-worn cameras when interacting with the public and mandate requirements for the storage and access of footage. Prohibit tracking, creating or maintaining databases of individuals participating in First Amendment activities.
No Paramilitary Police – Regulate and standardize the type of uniforms and equipment DHS officers carry during enforcement operations to bring them in line with civil enforcement.

These reforms should apply to all federal activity, whether funded by FY26 appropriations, the OBBBA or any other act.

Furthermore, there are steps that the Trump administration has the power to take right now to show good faith, including fully ramping down the surge in Minnesota and removing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem from her position.

These are common sense solutions that protect constitutional rights and ensure responsible law enforcement.

Sincerely,

Hakeem Jeffries

Democratic Leader

United States House of Representatives

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Leader

United States Senate