Pasadena Rally on January 10, 2026 (Photo – Staff)
Rep. Judy Chu (D–Calif.) voted against H.R. 4213, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2026, citing concerns over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and the absence of accountability measures in the legislation.
By News Desk
In a statement following the vote, Chu said that under President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Noem, ICE has become “a lawless militia with no regard for the rule of law or the American people’s safety.” She accused the agency of operating with impunity, violating civil rights, and making arrests for what she described as discriminatory reasons, including a person’s accent or ethnicity.
Chu said she could not support increased funding for ICE without oversight provisions, arguing that the agency has “brought violence to communities across the country,” including her Southern California district. She added that fear is widespread among both citizens and immigrants.
According to Chu, the Republican-backed funding bill failed to include measures to curb ICE’s conduct or protect immigrants and U.S. citizens from what she described as the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda. She also stated that ICE is already the largest law enforcement agency in the country as a result of what she referred to as “Trump’s Big Ugly Law,” and said Congress should be limiting the agency’s reach rather than expanding it.
“I will always fight to protect the rights of immigrants and all Americans who call our country home,” Chu said, adding that her vote against the bill reflects her commitment to holding ICE and the Trump administration accountable.
Impeachment Push and Oversight of ICE
Chu’s opposition to the funding bill coincides with her decision to join more than 70 House Democrats in cosponsoring articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. She accuses Noem of overseeing a violent and unaccountable immigration enforcement regime under the Trump administration.
Chu cited widespread due process violations, the use of masked ICE agents in unmarked vehicles, and incidents of severe harm and death involving ICE officers, including the fatal shooting of legal observer Renee Good. She argues that Noem fostered a lawless culture within ICE and should be held accountable for obstructing Congress, violating public trust, and abusing her office.
Beyond impeachment, Chu has intervened in individual cases to secure the release of immigrants facing detention or deportation despite having no criminal records or serious medical conditions. She has also pushed legislative and oversight efforts to increase ICE accountability, including introducing the VISIBLE Act to require clear officer identification and demanding investigations into deaths and medical neglect at detention facilities such as Adelanto.
Through detention facility visits, rallies, and constituent advocacy, Chu has emphasized transparency, humane treatment, and protections for immigrant communities, arguing that no one should live in fear of their own government.
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