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Senators and DHS secretary clash over border enforcement claims and budget priorities
Summary
Senators pressed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on the department’s fiscal year 2026 priorities, enforcement numbers and requests for more Border Patrol, ICE and Coast Guard resources while opponents in the hearing accused the department of withholding congressionally appropriated funds and violating statutory limits.
Secretary Kristi Noem told the Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee that the Trump administration’s first 100 days produced “a drastic turnaround in homeland security,” saying the administration has restored Border Patrol authority and reduced encounters at the Southwest border.
Noem said March 2025 saw “the lowest number of encounters in this nation's history” and that Border Patrol encountered “only 7,181 people,” adding that the reductions allowed agents to “0 in on the cartels and on illicit activities.”
The hearing quickly turned contentious. Senator Chris Murphy accused the department of overreach, saying, “Your department is out of control.” Murphy and other Democrats pressed Noem on whether department actions — including pausing or redirecting some grant accounts — violate appropriations law and undermine other DHS missions such as cybersecurity and disaster mitigation.
Why it matters: The subcommittee is responsible for allocating DHS’s budget. Lawmakers repeatedly pressed Noem for specifics about how requested increases for Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Coast Guard would be used, and whether the department’s current spending decisions follow Congress’s intent.
Most important facts
- Enforcement and border security claims: Noem said encounters at the Southwest border have fallen sharply and that the administration is prioritizing removal of “aliens who are a threat to our public safety and to our national security.” She told the committee the department has added infrastructure and personnel for border security and cited a combination of physical barriers and technology: “We have currently over 700 miles of border wall…Since president Trump has been in office, we've constructed another 77 miles that is in place,” and “we have 11 contracts that have been allocated… and then also 5 more that are pending.”
- Docket and removals cited by senators: Senators noted that the nondetained docket grew from roughly 3.7 million at the end of FY 2021 to about 7.6 million at the end of 2024, and that Noem described an increase in removals since the administration took office. Those figures were raised by senators during questioning; the committee did not adopt or verify those numbers during the hearing.
- Resource requests: Noem asked for funds for technology upgrades at ports of entry, more CBP and ICE personnel, Coast Guard force design investments and additional TSA and CISA resources. She said the department’s budget request and a proposed reconciliation package would fund those priorities.
Supporting details and debate
Senator Susan Collins (chair of the full Appropriations Committee) described local harm from transnational criminal activity and asked Noem to commit DHS support for state and local efforts, including assistance for grow-house investigations in Maine. Noem responded she would “commit to working with you.”
Republican committee members framed the shift in enforcement as immediate and effective; for example, Senator Bill Hagerty told Noem the department had “delivered on that promise” and noted personnel and morale gains. Several Republican senators emphasized technology and port scanning as critical, with Noem saying CBP needs “technology upgrades that we need to really make sure that we are doing due diligence to secure our country.”
Democratic members emphasized legal limits, oversight, and the effect on other DHS missions. Senator Murphy and others raised concerns that funds paused or reprogrammed by the department had been appropriated by Congress for programs such as shelter and services and FEMA grants. Murphy warned of an Anti‑Deficiency Act risk if spending continues without clear appropriation authority.
Ending
Noem said she will work with senators on program details and respond to oversight letters; senators on both sides indicated they would submit questions for the record. The committee set a deadline for written questions and the hearing adjourned with committee members continuing to press for specific evidence and follow‑up documentation.
