Top Democrats demand ICE reforms for DHS funding bill passage approval

Democratic congressional leaders on Wednesday shared a list of 10 demands for reforms to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement system, insisting they be added to the Department of Homeland Security’s funding bill.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., made the following demands in a letter to Republican leaders, arguing that ICE has “terrorized communities across the country.”

Targeted application

Democrats say DHS agents should not “enter private property without a judicial warrant.”

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., released a list of 10 demands for a DHS funding bill on Wednesday. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“End indiscriminate arrests and improve warrant procedures and standards. Require verification that a person is not a U.S. citizen before taking them into immigration detention,” Jeffries and Schumer wrote.

No masks

“Ban ICE and immigration officers from wearing masks,” the two men demanded.

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Require ID

Schumer and Jeffries say ICE agents should constantly display their agency, unique identification number and last name during immigration operations. They should also “verbalize” their identification number and name if asked during an operation, the two men say.

The GSA removed a Minnesota Hampton Inn from all federal housing programs after the hotel refused to house ICE and immigration agents.

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Protect sensitive locations

Jeffries and Schumer argue that federal funding should not be used to conduct immigration operations near “sensitive locations,” which they define as “medical facilities, schools, daycares, churches, polling places, courts” and others.

Stop racial profiling

Senior Democrats argue that DHS agents “conduct stops, interrogations and searches based on an individual’s presence in certain locations, their occupation, their spoken language and accent or their race and ethnicity.”

They say this must stop and decisions must be based on prior evidence.

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The Department of Homeland Security announced Feb. 4 that there have been more than 4,000 arrests of undocumented aliens in Minnesota as part of Operation Metro Surge. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Respect standards regarding the use of force

Democrats say ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection must operate under a more robust use-of-force policy, involving expanded training and certification for federal agents.

“In the event of an incident, the agent must be removed from the field until an investigation is carried out,” argued the two men.

Ensure coordination and monitoring at national and local level

“Preserve the ability of state and local jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute potential crimes and incidents of excessive force,” the two wrote. “Require evidence to be preserved and shared with jurisdictions. Require state and local consent to conduct large-scale operations outside of targeted immigration controls.

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Integrate protections into the system

Schumer and Jeffries demanded that federal detention centers “must meet the same basic detention standards that require immediate access to a person’s attorney to prevent the arrest or detention of citizens.”

“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,” they wrote.

A person is arrested by federal agents on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 in Minneapolis. (Ryan Murphy/AP)

Body cameras for accountability, not tracking

Democrats argue that federal agents must wear body cameras when interacting with the public.

They also say federal law enforcement should “prohibit the tracking, creation, or maintenance of databases on individuals participating in First Amendment activities.”

No paramilitary police

“Regulate and standardize the type of uniforms and equipment DHS officers wear during enforcement operations to align them with civilian enforcement,” Schumer and Jeffries wrote.

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Hakeem Jeffries stepped up his remarks against Kristi Noem during a press conference Thursday, arguing that the DHS secretary should be “put on permanent ice.” (Getty Images)

“Additionally, there are actions the Trump Administration has the authority to take right now to demonstrate good faith, including completely curbing the surge in Minnesota and removing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem from her post,” the two wrote.

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“These are common-sense solutions that protect constitutional rights and ensure responsible law enforcement,” they said.

White House border czar Tom Homan already announced Wednesday the withdrawal of 700 federal agents from the Twin Cities. Noem also ordered federal agents in Minnesota to start wearing body cameras.