Congressman Kennedy Presses for Accountability Amid GOP’s DHS Shutdown, Slams Republican Refusal to Reform ICE

Kennedy Also Pressed FEMA Representative on Agency's Broad Staffing Cuts and Diminished Emergency Response Capacity

WASHINGTON, D.C. - At a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing yesterday, Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) underscored that the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown is a direct result of President Trump and Congressional Republicans' refusal to negotiate in good faith. As Democrats continue to introduce clean funding solutions, Republicans have chosen to prolong the crisis by rejecting any meaningful reforms to DHS's interior immigration enforcement practices that have drawn widespread condemnation from the American people for sowing violence and violating constitutional rights.

"I want to remind my colleagues of three of many individuals who have brought us here today, to this point: Alex Pretti, Renee Nicole Good, Nurul Amin Shah Alam," said Congressman Kennedy. "They are why we are here today. There needs to be accountability at ICE, there needs to be reforms, and we need to create trust in our government agencies once and for all."

Congressman Kennedy's full remarks here.

Kennedy made clear that the current impasse is rooted in the GOP's refusal to address the broader pattern of unchecked conduct within DHS under the Trump administration. He highlighted the Democratic-led petition that would force a vote to fund all DHS agencies that are not involved in immigration enforcement, including the U.S. Coast Guard, TSA, FEMA, and CISA. To date, no Republicans have joined the legislation.

Kennedy, Ranking Member of the Emergency Management & Technology Subcommittee, also focused on the deteriorating state of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He pressed FEMA Associate Administrator Victoria Barton on the administration's drastic workforce cuts and its impact on FEMA's ability to respond effectively to disasters. The loss of thousands of personnel since 2025 and reported plans to further cut staffing threaten the federal government's capacity to deliver timely and coordinated emergency response when communities need it most.

Kennedy's line of questioning reinforced the broader stakes of the shutdown, making clear that beyond the dysfunction at airports across the country, the consequences are being felt in weakened emergency preparedness and increased risk to communities in Western New York and across the country.

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