Long Island Reps. Tom Suozzi, Laura Gillen break with party to support bill that funds Homeland Security
WASHINGTON — Long Island’s two Democratic U.S. House members crossed party lines Thursday to support a Department of Homeland Security spending bill, while most other Democrats said it does not go far enough to rein in the Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown.
Though bucking the bulk of his own party and its leaders, Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) emphasized that he was not endorsing the enforcement posture and tactics that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is using in Minneapolis and other cities.
Rather, Suozzi and Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) both pointed out in statements that the $64 billion bill involves more than funding for ICE. Other areas include those touching on transportation security, federal emergency and disaster relief assistance, and the U.S. Coast Guard
"There is no question ICE has overstepped its bounds," Suozzi said in a statement, adding that "ICE’s current confrontational enforcement posture in Minnesota, previously in Chicago, and elsewhere across the country is escalatory, and inappropriate."
But Suozzi also said, the Homeland Security bill, "ensures continuity for the critical agencies that keep our country safe and functioning," and that he opposes allowing another government shutdown to happen.