Fitzpatrick, Suozzi Unveil Bipartisan Bill to Fund DHS, Reform ICE, and Protect America

Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) unveiled their Reforming ICE and Protecting America Act, bipartisan legislation to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for Fiscal Year 2026 while enacting targeted, enforceable reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The legislation comes after weeks of deadlock in Washington over immigration enforcement, during which no serious proposal emerged that both kept DHS fully funded and delivered real ICE reform. 

 The Reforming ICE and Protecting America Act meets both imperatives: fully funding DHS while bringing ICE in line with the standards of every other law enforcement agency in the United States. 

 “Government should never be brought to a standstill—certainly not when homeland security is on the line and the consequences are borne by TSA agents, Coast Guard servicemembers, FEMA personnel, frontline DHS employees, and the American people. This debate began with a legitimate call for real ICE reform, yet after weeks of political deadlock, no serious solution emerged. The right course was clear from the start: keep the Department of Homeland Security fully funded and confront the problem before us with real reform. That is precisely what this bill does. It is time to do what should have been done from the beginning: govern, reform, and protect,” said Fitzpatrick.

 “The American people are fed up. The chaos at our airports was awful, the Department of Homeland Security has not been fully funded during these very dangerous times, and the people are demanding that ICE live up to the standards of all other federal law enforcement. They are sick and tired of the endless blame game and they are demanding that we work together to solve the very real problems we face,” said Suozzi. “This legislation cuts through the dysfunction. It’s rooted in common sense; let’s fund DHS, keep our country safe, and hammer out real reforms of ICE.”

 Drawing on Fitzpatrick’s more than 15 years as an FBI Special Agent and Suozzi’s experience overseeing the nation’s 11th largest police department as Nassau County Executive, the legislation was developed with direct input from federal law enforcement officials and in consultation with Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus and Senate partners, including the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

 The Reforming ICE and Protecting America Act would:

1. Fully fund DHS for FY26 and keep the Department operational across its core security, disaster response, and public safety missions.
2. Bring ICE in line with standardized law enforcement policies through body cameras, a limitation on masks, visible identification, standardized uniforms and training, and independent investigations of officer-involved shootings.
3. Focus enforcement where it belongs—on violent offenders and the most serious threats to public safety.
4. Protect due process and prevent abuse through probable-cause and warrant requirements in key enforcement contexts, including protections against the knowing detention of U.S. citizens without probable cause.
5. Establish clear guardrails for sensitive locations by limiting civil immigration enforcement at schools, health care facilities, places of worship, polling places on election day, childcare facilities, and private home residences absent a warrant, except in exigent circumstances.
6. Protect law enforcement personnel and their families by strengthening penalties for doxxing and expanding protections for sensitive personal information.
7. Ensures CBP remains focused on its intended mission: securing the border.

 Last week, Fitzpatrick and Suozzi announced they were developing a bipartisan path to fully fund DHS while advancing real ICE reform. The bill introduced today is the product of that effort.

 Read the full bill text here. 

 Watch the Congressmen talk about their efforts here and here. 

###