House unveils final FY2026 spending package with ICE funding

WASHINGTON, DC: House appropriators on Tuesday, January 20, released a final package of four full-year spending bills that, if enacted, would complete the chamber’s work on funding the federal government for fiscal year 2026.

The package provides funding through September 30 for the Defense Department, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development departments.

ICE funding sparks Democratic divisions

The inclusion of funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement is expected to fuel debate within the Democratic caucus, particularly among progressives who have called for withholding money from the agency until major reforms are enacted.

House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro sought to address those concerns, acknowledging deep frustration with ICE while urging lawmakers to consider the broader implications of the legislation.

“I understand that many of my Democratic colleagues may be dissatisfied with any bill that funds ICE,” DeLauro said in a statement. 

“I share their frustration with the out-of-control agency. I encourage my colleagues to review the bill and determine what is best for their constituents and communities,” she added.

Rosa DeLauro points to cuts and limited reforms

DeLauro said that the legislation took “several steps in the right direction,” including cuts to ICE enforcement and removal operations and a reduction in the number of detention beds. She noted, however, that the package did not include the broader structural reforms Democrats had proposed.

The bill included $20 million for the procurement, deployment, and operation of body-worn cameras for ICE agents.

It also contained policy language encouraging the Department of Homeland Security to develop and implement a standardized uniform policy for domestic law enforcement operations to ensure officers are clearly identifiable as federal law enforcement.

Floor action expected later this week

DeLauro said Republican leaders have committed to holding a separate vote on the Homeland Security portion of the package, setting the stage for a focused debate on immigration enforcement funding.

The House is expected to take up the spending package on the floor later this week. The chamber has passed eight of the 12 full-year appropriations bills required to fund the government.

Approval of this package would complete the House’s appropriations work for the year, while the Senate has passed six of its 12 bills.