Standoff over DHS funding intensifies as Democratic lawmakers propose ‘The Freeze ICE Act’

Democratic lawmakers have officially proposed a new piece of legislation called “The Freeze ICE Act,” which aims to put a total hiring stop on ICE. Representatives John Garamendi of California and Lizzie Fletcher of Texas, along with nine cosponsors, unveiled the proposed bill on February 6. The legislation was introduced in the House and referred to committee for consideration, but hasn’t advanced to a full House vote yet.

This proposal responds to the agency’s rapid growth following the $170 billion in enforcement and infrastructure funding included in Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill. A huge chunk of that money was designated specifically to support large-scale hiring and expand detention capacity across the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.

According to Newsweek, the Freeze ICE Act seeks to immediately prohibit the government from using federal funds to appoint or transfer any new personnel into ICE positions on or after the date the act becomes law. The freeze would stay in place until Congress passes a separate, specific law that overrides the provision.

The proposal is about more than just the request for reforms

The administration has been on a nationwide recruiting blitz since the Big, Beautiful Bill. In January, the DHS announced that ICE had already hired about 12,000 new agents, after receiving more than 220,000 applications. A number much larger than the initial recruitment goal for the year of 10,000. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin celebrated the “120% increase” in the workforce in just four months.

Supporters of the freeze say Congress desperately needs time to catch up and address major concerns about this rapid expansion. When you hire thousands of people that fast, maintaining adequate training, supervision, and oversight becomes incredibly difficult. Critics are worried that the sheer pace and scale of recruitment could seriously strain accountability mechanisms.

The concern seems well-founded when you consider that the DHS has faced multiple allegations involving excessive use of force, racial profiling, and civil rights violations. The agency is already under scrutiny following incidents like the fatal shooting of two American citizens in Minneapolis. The concerns led to an opinion split within the GOP and the eventual partial shutdown over DHS funding.

Garamendi stated, “Congress needs to pass the Freeze ICE Act to impose a hiring freeze at ICE and put proper accountability measures and procedural reforms in place to ensure the safety of Americans.” He went on to voice a very strong concern, adding, “I am gravely concerned about the steps Trump has taken to try and turn ICE into a secret police force, something that should never happen here in America.”

Despite the strong push from these lawmakers, the bill is widely considered unlikely to pass, since Congress is currently controlled by Republicans. It’s a clear statement of intent, but it doesn’t look like this massive hiring surge is slowing down anytime soon.