My colleagues in the Democratic Party have consistently opposed President Trump’s policies, which is their prerogative. However, their choice to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) feels like more than just political strategy—it’s genuinely perilous.
In the month following the Democrats’ funding denial to DHS, the United States has dealt with at least four apparent terrorist incidents.
On March 1, a shooter donned an “Allah Wealth” shirt and took the lives of three Americans, injuring 13 more outside the Buford Backyard Beer Garden in Austin, Texas. Then, on March 7, two individuals hurled explosives at a gathering of protesters near Gracie Mansion in New York City. They claimed allegiance to ISIS, aiming to surpass the Boston bombers’ death toll, but swift action from the NYPD thwarted their plans.
On March 12, a man released after helping ISIS stormed into a classroom at Old Dominion University, shouted “Allah Akbar,” and opened fire, killing an ROTC instructor before students intervened. In West Bloomfield, Michigan, that same day, a man crashed his vehicle into Temple Israel Synagogue during a kindergarten class, injuring a security guard. The Israeli government noted that the suspect, who allegedly fired a weapon in a confrontation with synagogue guards, has family ties to the terrorist group Hezbollah.
These attacks resulted in four American deaths and left many others injured. It’s chilling to consider how many more could have perished without the brave actions of law enforcement and other security personnel.
All this unfolded while President Trump took decisive actions against Iran. Now, let’s be clear: he wasn’t seeking to instigate a war—he was aiming to conclude one. Ali Khamenei has shown a clear intent to revive nuclear weapons production, which could have endangered many lives.
I have faith that our airmen will dismantle Iran’s missile capabilities, but that doesn’t eliminate the threat to Americans. There’s a chance the Ayatollah, in his final moments, activated sleeper cells within the U.S., and with an open border policy from President Biden, it’s uncertain how many terrorists could currently be hiding amongst us.
To complicate matters, the Biden administration has allowed at least 99 individuals from the terrorist watch list into the country—this is just what we know. It will require a significant effort to identify and deport all the terrorists among the millions of unvetted individuals released by this administration.
Yet, as my Democratic colleagues have been protesting for the past month, DHS—the agency best equipped to hunt these lone wolves—has effectively been sidelined.
The real issue seems to stem from many Democrats wanting border policies that favor openness. They have effectively held the funding for DHS ransom because they oppose deportations and dislike the enforcement actions of agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Some of their requests to restore funding were sensible, and the Trump administration was willing to comply—like requiring ICE officers to wear body cameras during operations. The problem is, purchasing those cameras depends on funding approval from Democrats.
Other demands have been quite absurd. For instance, there’s a push to stop ICE officers from wearing masks and to require them to display their names on their uniforms. Such policies could put their lives and families at risk, distracting officers from their vital task of tracking terrorists amid threats from anti-ICE activists.
We are all aware of the intense aversion some Democrats have towards Trump, but consider this: in a span of just two weeks, there have been four apparent terrorist attacks. DHS is not merely a tool for political games; we need our law enforcement focused on identifying sleeper cells, not worrying about their paychecks.
To my Democratic colleagues: If we are serious about safeguarding America, we can’t afford to wait for another incident. It’s time to restore the funding to DHS immediately.
