Experts Say There Is Actually Something You Can Do To Stop ICE — But It’s Crucial You Do It Now

“ICE must be reined in, and unfortunately neither a [continuing resolution] nor a shutdown would do anything to restrain it, because, thanks to Republicans, ICE is now sitting on a massive slush fund it can tap whether or not we pass a funding bill,” Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, previously told HuffPost.

Murray is referring to the billions of dollars that DHS received in 2025.

“Even if Congress were to zero out DHS’s budget, they still have more money than they even know what to do with and could continue to function at their current level,” said Nathan-Pineau.

“I do not think that it means we’re going to see ICE officers sent home across the U.S., but what it will do is send a really strong message that the country is no longer on board with what the president is doing and the, essentially, federal invasion of of Minnesota … and would show a clear distinction between the parties on where they stand on how immigration law should be enforced,” Derrick said.

While it may feel defeating to read that ICE likely won’t be disbanded if the upcoming appropriation bill fails to pass, that doesn’t mean you should sit back and watch.

“One of the most important things we can do right now is pick up the phone or send an email and make sure our members of Congress understand how much and how clearly we see what ICE and [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] are doing in our communities, and how deeply we want our members of Congress to take action, to rein them in and to withhold funds,” Altman added.

It’s a staffer’s job to make a record of constituents’ positions on specific issues and report that to the elected official at the end of the day, Altman explained. “It is so critical what that record says at the end of every day.”

If your elected official sees that tens of thousands of people from your state are calling to voice disapproval with ICE, for example, that can influence any future decisions they need to make, Altman noted.

With the Jan. 30 deadline looming and votes coming up soon, “now is the time to call,” Altman said.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.