[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 20, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2395-S2396]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Reconciliation
Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, I am here on the floor of the Senate
today because I want to talk about what is happening this week with the
reconciliation package that Republicans are attempting to move this
week.
For many that might be watching--or maybe it is just my family who is
watching. Who knows? But for many that are out there, let me just say
that what is happening right now is that our Republican leaders in
Congress in essence are trying to give billions of dollars more in
funding to out-of-control Federal immigration enforcement Agencies that
are brutalizing our communities.
I want to be clear about something. We all agree that we need strong
border security and that criminals need to face justice. I am going to
say that again. We need strong border security. Criminals must face
justice.
President Trump said his administration would be going after the
worst of the worst, but what really is happening is that masked and
unidentifiable agents are roaming around, arresting and even killing
American citizens, racially profiling people, including Latinos, and
deporting Dreamers.
I am here to tell my colleagues that if you are not paying attention
to the American public when you are listening to them--because if you
are, you are hearing that they are saying: Enough. They want safe
communities but not lawlessness and fearmongering.
That is why my Democratic colleagues and I have been clear since
February: You will not get our votes on new funding for Immigration and
Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol unless it includes commonsense
guardrails to rein in these Agencies' abuses. But over the last several
months, unfortunately, President Trump and Republican leadership have
showed us, time and time again, that they are simply not interested in
doing the right thing here, even the popular thing.
Now, I want people to keep in mind that Republicans have already
given these two Agencies $150 billion in their so-called Big Beautiful
Bill. They did that with another reconciliation package. They have
plenty of money. ICE and CPB have plenty of money to operate for years
to come--because their annual budget is only around $8 to $10 billion.
They have $150 billion.
But now, what is happening this week is that, at the request of
Donald Trump, Republicans now want to add another $70 billion to these
Agencies, on top of the $150 billion they have. That multibillion-
dollar check isn't for lowering the price of groceries for Americans.
It is not lowering the cost of energy for Americans or healthcare or
even helping them put more gas in their tanks at a lower cost. That is
not what this is. It is not bringing back the manufacturing jobs this
administration has lost us. And it definitely is not making our
communities any safer.
We know that because we are seeing what Federal immigration
enforcement has been doing with the $150 billion they already got for
their mass deportation efforts. Let me tell you, they are not spending
it on going after the worst of the worst. They are not doing
[[Page S2396]]
that. I have seen that in Nevada, and we have seen that across the
country.
In March of this year, I stood right here, and I told 10 stories of
Dreamers who have been detained or deported by Federal immigration
enforcement. Dreamers and DACA recipients--they are our neighbors, they
are our friends, they are community leaders, they are teachers, they
are doctors, they are small business owners in my State and other
States, and they are not criminals. In fact, they have had to follow
the law to the letter in order to maintain their DACA status. And yet I
have heard story after story of DACA recipients being detained or
deported by ICE and Border Patrol. And I want to tell you some of those
stories about how Federal immigration enforcement under Donald Trump is
choosing to spend the taxpayers' dollars.
I heard directly from Maria, who had active DACA status but was
detained by Federal immigration enforcement anyway. She said it was one
of the most traumatic experiences of her life, and I believe it. Now,
because of this administration's delays in DACA renewals, Maria is
afraid her renewal--her renewal--won't come in time for her to heal and
rebuild her life.
I also heard from Stephanie, a U.S. citizen who spoke to me on behalf
of her husband Juan, who is a DACA recipient. Juan did everything he
was supposed to do. He got an education, started a family, and always
followed the law. Just days after Stephanie gave birth to their
youngest daughter, Juan was on his way to the NICU unit to deliver milk
for his new baby and for his wife when he was approached by ICE agents.
And even though he had active DACA status and work authorization, the
ICE agents told him it didn't matter, and they arrested and detained
him.
Juan applied for the DACA renewal 5 months before the deadline, and
it still wasn't enough. His DACA status expired while he was sitting in
detention.
Stephanie told me:
Trump said DACA recipients would be safe, but that's not
true.
Thankfully, just a few days ago, after 3 months in detention, Juan
was finally, finally released back to his family and his newborn
daughter.
I also heard from Brenda, whose husband Jahasiel is another DACA
recipient detained for no reason whatsoever. He had just dropped his
kids off at school when ICE detained him, even though he had done
nothing wrong. A judge finally ordered ICE to release him because there
was no basis to hold him in the first place.
Maria, Juan, and Jahasiel are the kinds of people that President
Trump and Republican leadership want to spend billions of dollars going
after. These, to them, somehow, are the worst of the worst, when they
have not committed a crime and they have followed the rules that we
have set. They have followed the rules that Congress has passed, that
the President signed, and they are following those rules.
How does that make sense?
Even the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, those who have
sacrificed so much for our country, are having their lives torn apart
by Federal immigration enforcement.
I recently saw the story of SFC Jose Serrano, whose wife Deisy was
arrested by ICE during a routine immigration appointment. She showed up
for her appointment like she was required to do. Deisy has lived in
this country over 10 years, and she was granted legal protection in
2019. But on April 14, despite being the wife of a soldier, she was
arrested during a routine appointment with immigration services. Over a
month later, Deisy was finally released from custody, thanks in part to
public pressure, as well as advocacy from my colleague Senator
Duckworth.
I also saw the story of SSG Matthew Blank and his wife Annie Ramos.
Annie is a Dreamer who has called the United States home since she was
2 years old. They were newlyweds checking in on base to get Annie her
military ID and activate her military spouse benefits. Instead, Annie
was detained and threatened with deportation. Again, after advocacy
from my Senate colleagues, she has been released, but ICE is still
trying to deport her.
Now, think about this. You know about this because these stories have
been public, but there are many others. There are many others that are
not public. There are many others who have done nothing wrong, who are
sitting in detention right now, and the public has no idea. And it is
time--it is time--that, as Americans, we understand this and we stand
up to an administration that thinks it is OK to deport people who have
done nothing but lived in this country, tried to abide by the laws,
tried to pay taxes, tried to have a good job.
I do not think it is controversial to say this is not what
immigration enforcement should be spending their time on and this is
not what we should be funding. That is why my Democratic colleagues and
I have been blocking funding for ICE. It is because of the abuses of
power that we are seeing, and it has to stop.
We are asking for reforms that are easy to implement, and we have
said: Listen, if you want more funding, if you think that you need more
funding--which is just so abusive as it is--then you have to comply
with commonsense requirements that local law enforcement in my State
and across the country comply with, that our State law enforcement in
my State and across the country comply with.
And this is what Democrats were asking of this administration and our
Republican leadership--common sense: Reform ICE.
And here are some of the reforms: Immigration enforcement can't
detain and deport U.S. citizens, especially not based on the way they
look. Federal agents can't go into someone's home without a judicial
warrant. Federal agents can't wear masks. And they must clearly show
their badge numbers, and they must wear body cameras.
By the way, Nevada law enforcement have been wearing body cameras, I
want to say, since 2016, 2017.
Federal agents must also undergo deescalation training, just like
State and local law enforcement, who patrol our communities every
single day, do.
Nevadans in my State are asking for this. Americans across the
country, in all States, are asking for this. Local and State law
enforcement already abide by these guidelines, and they are the ones
who are keeping our neighborhoods safe every day. Federal law
enforcement should be held to the same standards. It is not
controversial.
This is an issue my Republican colleagues could have solved months
ago. We shouldn't even be here today. It has been 4 months of Democrats
asking for commonsense, popular reforms to rein in the President's
clearly out-of-control Federal immigration enforcement.
And, all the while, Senate Republican leadership has done nothing to
help families. This administration has done nothing to address
Americans' prices that are skyrocketing. And it is time that we
actually listen to the people and listen to Americans and solve their
problems, not create the problems that we think need to be solved.
I would say to my colleagues and to this administration: The American
people, they deserve better.
With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.