House appropriators debate ICE raids, surveillance and civil‑liberties safeguards after widespread testimony of courthouse and church arrests

Members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security spent large portions of the markup challenging recent immigration enforcement tactics and seeking safeguards to protect civil liberties and access to courts and houses of worship.

What happened: Several Democrats urged limits on ICE arrests in places of worship and in courthouses and pressed for restored funding and capacity at oversight offices, including the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL). The committee adopted a measure (as amended) that urges ICE to exercise restraint at houses of worship and approved a separate second‑degree change requiring DHS to brief the committee on policies and evaluations related to enforcement at sacred sites.

Why it matters: Members described instances in which masked enforcement agents arrested people outside churches and courthouses, and they said such tactics deter victims and witnesses from participating in legal proceedings and corrode trust. Democrats argued that aggressive enforcement without adequate safeguards can sweep up legal permanent residents and U.S. citizens and undermine due process.

Key debate points: Rep. Lois Frankel (D‑Fla.), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D‑Fla.) and others detailed cases from Los Angeles and elsewhere where neighbors and worship leaders reported armed agents making arrests on church property or at public services. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D‑Ill.) and others pointed to declines or proposed cuts in the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and offered an amendment to restore CRCL funding to previous levels; that amendment failed in a recorded vote. Supporters of robust enforcement pushed back, saying ICE must be able to execute removal orders, especially where criminal convictions exist, and warned against creating sanctuary zones that could shield convicted criminals.

Committee action: The subcommittee adopted a report language amendment directing the secretary to evaluate the conditions and necessity of enforcement actions at places of worship and to brief the committee within 30 days on the department’s findings. A separate proposal to bar enforcement actions in courthouses was debated and a second‑degree amendment urging restraint at courthouses was adopted; the committee also adopted language encouraging restraint at sensitive locations while leaving enforcement authority with DHS when necessary.

Oversight and watchdog funding: Rep. Sanford Bishop (D‑Ga.) offered an amendment to restore funding to the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties; members argued the office is required by statute to investigate civil‑rights complaints at DHS. The subcommittee chair said the office was restructured earlier in the year and that some work will be contracted, and he warned against adding money for positions not expected to be staffed. The Bishop amendment was voted on and did not pass.

Ending: The markup left in place competing priorities — members pressed for legal safeguards around enforcement in sensitive locations and for stronger oversight of immigration enforcement, while appropriators warned that overly broad prohibitions could impede removal of convicted criminal aliens. The committee directed DHS to brief lawmakers on its policies governing enforcement at houses of worship and courthouses.