FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 23, 2026
CONTACT: Rachel Dupree, [email protected] 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), a coalition of over 70 leading refugee and immigrant rights organizations, strongly opposes the Senate’s passage of a budget plan that would give a $70 billion increase to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This comes despite widespread public concern about the agencies’ lawless practices, dangerous lack of regulation, and current $150 billion surplus.

Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, the attacks on American citizens, lawful permanent residents, and people who have called this country home for years would not have been possible without the astonishing cash infusion of $170 billion last year to the administration’s immigration agencies. With billions under its belt, following a consistent pattern of neglect and cruelty inside detention camps, ICE reported its deadliest year on record in 2025, with the death toll in ICE detention continuing to rise. Nearly half of voters have no confidence in ICE’s abilities and believe oversight and accountability are necessary. Currently, the administration’s approval rating is only 37 percent. Until today, Congress rightfully refused to send more money to these agencies that are terrorizing communities, tear-gassing children, and abducting and killing our neighbors. Congress must stand against reckless spending and community endangerment.

Said Nicole Melaku, NPNA executive director, “Communities across America have already paid the price for our tax dollars being funneled into ICE and CBP. Instead of drafting blank checks to endanger our communities, we expect our lawmakers to invest in what supports families, workers, and children in this time of economic uncertainty. Now that Americans have seen the harms of mass deportations, their tolerance has tipped, and we must all understand what our elected officials are prioritizing over working to improve our daily lives.

“Top voter concerns continue to be the economy’s performance, healthcare, and civil rights—but for the second year in a row, extremist politicians are proposing to cut American healthcare to cover the cost of cruelty. No member of Congress can reasonably sign another blank check for even more inhumane immigration operations, which threaten our rights and liberties. Countless lives continue to be upended, and taxpayers struggle to pay their bills. So we urge Congress to do its job today. Make a real budget for the people that improves their quality of life. Pass real reforms. And ensure fairness in our immigration system. Democracy isn’t a line item. It’s a commitment.”

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The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of over 70 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 40 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org.