Durbin Offers Amendment To Defense Appropriations Bill Prohibiting DOD Non-Reimbursable Support To DHS For Immigration Enforcement
Committee Republicans voted down the amendment, ignoring the excessive cost of using DOD resources and facilities to conduct DHS’s immigration enforcement
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin’s (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, filed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense appropriations bill to prohibit non-reimbursable Department of Defense (DOD) support to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the purpose of immigration enforcement. Durbin’s amendment received a vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee markup today, but the measure was voted down with 14 votes in support and 15 votes against.
Durbin spoke about his amendment during today’s Committee markup on the Defense appropriations bill, emphasizing that the Trump Administration’s expansive use of the military for immigration operations has raised significant civil liberties concerns and is a costly diversion of military resources that undermines military readiness.
“This amendment would ensure the Department of Defense’s funding is used for defense, and not as a blank check for the Department of Homeland Security,” Durbin said. “The point I’m trying to make you is this is going to be an expensive undertaking, this notion of massive deportation… This money has been appropriated for the defense of our nation and that is how it should be spent.”
Durbin explained that the Trump Administration has already diverted $900 million in Pentagon funds for immigration activities so far this year, which DOD estimating that that total could reach $2 billion by the end of the year. Durbin noted that much of the support DOD has provided could have been accomplished at a much lower cost by DHS. For example, military deportation flights have cost more than five times what DHS-chartered aircraft would. Additionally, housing migrants at Guantánamo Bay costs $40 million while housing the same number of migrants in DHS facilities would cost only an estimated $3.2 million.
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
A copy of Durbin’s amendment is available here.
-30-