Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) suggested Wednesday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could start deporting U.S. citizens with the expanded budget requested for fiscal 2026.<\/p>\n
During an interview with MSNBC\u2019s \u201cAll In with Chris Hayes,\u201d Garcia was asked about the Trump administration\u2019s request for \u201can unprecedented expansion of funding of DHS, particularly on immigration enforcement\u201d and \u201cwhat it would look like to give this agency three to five times the funding it currently has.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garcia said that with more funding, DHS \u201cwould only expand\u201d its current efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re deporting … children with cancer that have been diagnosed to other countries without their permission and the permission of their parents; they are essentially locking away students for expressing their freedom of speech and their political views. They\u2019re deporting people that we give appointments for, for asylum. They are whisking away, literally in the dead of night, people from our communities across the country, without any of them even getting a chance to call a lawyer or their family,\u201d Garcia said in the interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they expect us to support giving them more resources to do this?\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
The congressman warned the situation could escalate.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s be clear, they are going to come after United States citizens. They are already doing it to children, to immigrants, to asylum-seekers. And we cannot give them more money to do this. And now they\u2019re going after members of Congress,\u201d Garcia continued. \u201cSo this is an incredibly dangerous moment for this country, and we\u2019ve got to take it very seriously.”<\/p>\n