NAACP Applauds Senate for Blocking Bill that includes DHS, ICE Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 29, 2026

Contact: Chyna Fields, cfields@naacpnet.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, a procedural vote in the United States Senate that would have advanced government funding, including funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, failed to pass.

As lawmakers push ahead to separate DHS funding from other spending bills, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson released the following statement:

"Grassroots organizers in Minneapolis and across the country, who have been standing up for months demanding an end to ICE's terror campaign, showed all of us that democracy still prevails in America. Today, many of our representatives heard the will of the people they swore an oath to serve and represent. We applaud the Senators who listened to their conscience and believed what they saw with their own eyes: that ICE agents are unchecked and killing American citizens in cold blood. They are terrorizing our neighborhoods, and they must be stopped. No agency, no person, is above the law.

"To the millions of people who called and emailed their Senators and demanded change by putting their bodies on the line in tense environments, remember — this is your victory. This is how we win. This is our chance to build an America that works for the people, rather than being forced to live in an America that only serves the wealthy and oppresses the rest of us. This is our time, and we cannot slow down now."

Earlier this week, the NAACP launched a national "DRY ICE" campaign urging U.S. Senators to block federal funding for ICE. In addition to demanding no additional federal funding for ICE in the current budget, the DRY ICE campaign will continue to advocate for accountability measures — including:

·      Prohibiting future ICE resources,

·      The immediate withdrawal of federal immunity protections for ICE agents

·      Removing Secretary Kristi Noem from office and demanding she be prosecuted

·      Mandating that ICE agents are to be unmasked

·      Ending federal and local law enforcement cooperation agreements that enable ICE operations

Ultimately, the NAACP is demanding that ICE be abolished and urges 2026 candidates to support and adopt this necessary policy.

For more information on the NAACP DRY ICE campaign and to take action, visit our website.