Key Takeaways
- •Members urged the subcommittee to prioritize funding for nonprofit security grants and FEMA disaster relief while addressing the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
- •Debbie Wasserman Schultz (U.S. Representative) called for increased funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and requested language to protect Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans and Haitians.
- •Rep. Veronica Escobar (D, TX-16) pressed Wasserman Schultz on refining oversight language to ensure congressional staff can access detention facilities to conduct casework for constituents.
- •While Rep. Mark Amodei (R, NV-2) sought bipartisan cooperation, Melanie Stansbury (U.S. Representative) and other Democrats criticized the Trump administration's immigration enforcement and private detention policies.
- •The subcommittee will consider these member priorities during the upcoming DHS appropriations markup as they navigate a compressed legislative timeline and the current department shutdown.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
This hearing served as a forum for members of Congress to present their specific funding and policy priorities for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the upcoming fiscal year. The discussion occurred during a 40-day partial government shutdown of the department, highlighting the urgent need for stable funding and oversight of critical agencies. The testimony focused on balancing national security requirements with humanitarian values, particularly regarding immigration enforcement, disaster relief, and the protection of religious institutions.
Key Testimony & Policy
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D, FL-25) emphasized the critical need for increased funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to address the surge in antisemitic incidents. Citing FBI data that Jewish Americans were victims of two-thirds of religion-based hate crimes in 2024, she urged the subcommittee to streamline the application process and eliminate what she described as politicized rules that delay funding for congregations. She also advocated for report language directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to review the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Venezuela and Haiti. Rep. Wasserman Schultz argued that deporting individuals to Haiti, which is currently facing a total collapse of governance and gang control, would be inhumane and economically damaging, noting that Florida's economy could shrink by $9 billion if these workers were removed from the workforce.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D, NM-1) focused her testimony on the impacts of the ongoing DHS shutdown and the necessity of robust disaster relief. She highlighted the strain on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers and FEMA personnel who remain unpaid while performing essential duties. Rep. Stansbury requested full funding for the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund and pre-disaster mitigation programs to support recovery efforts in New Mexico following record wildfires and floods in Ruidoso, Lincoln County, and Mora County. She also called for full funding for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to ensure the orderly and humane processing of asylum claims and lawful immigration.
Significant policy reforms regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were also proposed. Rep. Stansbury stated she would not support additional ICE funding without fundamental changes, including the elimination of detention bed quotas that she argued incentivize mass detention. She proposed legislative language to end the use of for-profit private detention centers, prohibit "warehouse-style" detention, and require judicial warrants for enforcement actions. These proposals aim to shift the department's approach toward more humane and accountable immigration enforcement while protecting civil liberties.
Notable Exchanges & Partisan Dynamics
A significant exchange occurred regarding congressional oversight of detention facilities. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D, TX-16) requested that the subcommittee expand existing bipartisan language—which allows members no-notice access to facilities—to specifically include and protect congressional staff. Rep. Escobar noted that her staff had been targeted while attempting to conduct casework and argued that staff access is essential for effective oversight and constituent services. Rep. Wasserman Schultz agreed, noting that while current language is intended to be inclusive, it may require refinement to ensure staff can operate independently of members when necessary to investigate conditions at sites like the Everglades Detention Center.
Chairman Mark Amodei (R, NV-2) and Ranking Member Henry Cuellar (D, TX-28) maintained a collaborative tone throughout the hearing. Despite the partisan tensions surrounding the government shutdown and the investigation of the former DHS Secretary by the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, both leaders expressed a commitment to working with the witnesses on their specific district concerns and policy priorities as the subcommittee moves toward a markup.
Organizations Mentioned
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS): Discussed in the context of the 40-day shutdown and the need for a balanced approach to security and humanitarian values. - Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): Heavily criticized for its detention practices, with members calling for the elimination of bed quotas and for-profit contracts. - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Identified as a vital resource for disaster recovery in New Mexico, requiring robust funding for its Disaster Relief Fund and mitigation programs. - Transportation Security Administration (TSA): Mentioned regarding the financial hardship faced by officers working without pay during the partial government shutdown. - United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): Witnesses requested full funding to improve the efficiency and fairness of the asylum and lawful immigration system. - Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Cited for its hate crime statistics used to justify increased security grants for religious nonprofits through the NSGP. - Mescalero Apache Tribe: Mentioned as a tribal community in New Mexico requiring federal assistance following severe storms and flooding. - Everglades Detention Center: Highlighted as a facility in Florida that fails to meet humane standards and requires increased congressional oversight.
What's Next
The subcommittee will consider the testimony and specific language requests as it drafts the DHS appropriations bill. Chairman Amodei noted that the budget cycle would be compressed this year, suggesting an accelerated timeline for the full committee markup. Members will likely follow up on the proposed changes to detention oversight language and the requested funding levels for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Additionally, the subcommittee is expected to monitor the ongoing investigation into the former DHS Secretary as it evaluates future funding for the department's leadership.
Transcript
Good morning. We will hear from members about a variety of topics within our jurisdiction. Thank you to each of our colleagues, A, for your patience and and for taking time out to spend some time with us talking about stuff that is important to you, your districts, and your issues. I've got some other opening stuff that the staff did a wonderful job. I look forward to working with the opening member Cuellar, and I'll now turn to Mr. Cuellar for his opening remarks, if any.
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