Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) announced on Mar. 25 a bipartisan legislative effort to immediately reopen the Department of Homeland Security while introducing reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The proposal comes as a response to ongoing deadlock in Washington that has left the Department of Homeland Security unfunded since February 13, affecting agencies such as TSA, Coast Guard, and FEMA. The lawmakers say their approach aims to both restore essential government operations and address concerns about law enforcement accountability.
“Protecting the American people is among the first obligations of government, and that means ensuring the Department of Homeland Security is fully funded and fully operational. It also means ensuring that those entrusted with enforcing the law operate under clear, consistent standards that preserve public trust. I have long believed that, at its core, law enforcement is a social contract built on trust on both ends. This effort would restore DHS operations, reinforce clear and uniform standards across federal law enforcement, and keep enforcement focused on the most serious threats to public safety. That is how we restore the mission, strengthen enforcement, and renew public confidence in the institutions charged with protecting the American people,” said Brian Fitzpatrick.
Tom Suozzi said: “People are standing in long lines at our airports, TSA agents are not getting paid, FEMA is going unfunded, and Americans are becoming increasingly frustrated that instead of solving problems, politicians in Washington are pointing fingers. Congressman Fitzpatrick and I are trying to cut through the dysfunction, isolate the problem areas where negotiations have stalled, and work together to get things done.” He continued: “Ultimately ICE is a law enforcement agency that needs to be held to the same professional standards as every other law enforcement agency in the United States. Unfortunately ICE has been operating in a fashion I believe is illegal and immoral. It’s not a radical idea to ask them to answer to the same safety and transparency requirements as every other police officer and federal agent in the country.”
The legislation being developed would require all federal law enforcement agencies—including ICE—to meet consistent policies regarding training requirements; use of body cameras; independent investigation of use-of-force incidents; clear outer identification during actions; cooperation with local authorities; prohibition on masks during operations except for tougher penalties against doxxing; stronger warrant requirements; rules for sensitive locations; all aiming at focusing resources on high-priority cases.
Fitzpatrick brings more than 15 years’ experience as an FBI agent before joining Congress representing Pennsylvania’s 1st district according to his biography. He replaced previous U.S Congress member Mike Fitzpatrick in 2017 as reported by Wikipedia. Born in Philadelphia in 1973 according to his profile, he currently lives in Levittown. Fitzpatrick graduated from La Salle University with a BS degree before earning his JD from Pennsylvania State University’s Carlisle campus as noted by Wikipedia.
The Senate failed last week for a fifth time to advance DHS funding legislation amid continuing partisan disagreements.
