Paul Cantrell
Here’s roughly what I told my US Senators:
“I am a resident of Minneapolis, which for the last 6 weeks has been a kind of hell. I am begging you, begging you, to do everything in your power to •stop funding this hell•.
The Department of Homeland Security has become a dangerous rogue organization. Dangerous! The correct amount of funding for the DHS under its current leadership — yes, you heard me, the •entire• DHS — is zero. ZERO.
I consider every dollar above that to be a concession. Fight.”
Paul Cantrell
To be clear: I have no realistic expectation any Senator would actually attempt to zero out the DHS budget. I just want to set a baseline for them, move the Overton Window, give them a taste of how angry the population is.
Yes yes yes, Reply Armada, “oh those terrible Democrats yada yada,” I know, I know. I am •not• waiting for politicians to save us.
I am also, however, quite ready to exercise political leverage and use politicians as our tools whenever I think that has a nonzero chance of being useful. Make that call — then back to the work.
Paul Cantrell
Unfortunately, it look like Senate Democrats might have less latitude to block ICE funding than we’d hoped:
https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/i-need-to-correct-an-error
I say make those calls anyway. I want all of them desperate to stop ICE, up sleepless at night trying to figure out what they can do even if there’s nothing they can do.
Paul Cantrell
@SteveJB @Lightfighter
Yeah. It’s unclear how much leverage Senate Dems have, but we should pressure anyway. See here:
https://hachyderm.io/@inthehands/115934753860838653
SteveJB
@Lightfighter @inthehands Funding can be unfunded. You know, like the Dept of Education was.
Lightfighter
@inthehands It was my understanding that ICE is funded through 2029 via the Big Spending Bill last year.
Paul Cantrell
@c64gal @SteveJB @Lightfighter
It’s not completely clear to me how true that is, but I want •them• worrying about that question night and day, not just me
c64gal
@inthehands @SteveJB @Lightfighter they have enough leverage to force some consessions.
Paul Cantrell
@jessamyn
Yes. Pressure them so they can pass the pressure forward.
Jessamyn
@inthehands I put all three of my congresspeople in my phone and make calling all of them part of my activist praxis despite believing they're going to do the right thing anyhow (Bernie and Balint? Sure. Welch? Most of the time.) insofar as they can.
Paul Cantrell
House Rep. Rosa DeLauro (from CT) says:
❝I understand that many of my Democratic colleagues may be dissatisfied with any bill that funds ICE. …[But]… The Homeland Security funding bill is more than just ICE. If we allow a lapse in funding, TSA agents will be forced to work without pay, FEMA assistance could be delayed, and the US Coast Guard will be adversely affected….❞
And I am saying stop ICE if you have to ••shut down every airport in the country•• to do it.
That is the message I want Congress to hear. That serious. This is Trump starting a civil war.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/22/democrats-ice-funding-bill
Analog AI
"When on Death Ground, fight!"
Sun Tzu
(Also, be aware enough to know that we are, in fact, on death ground).
Paul Cantrell
And yes, put that pressure on Republicans too. Every horrible image that comes out of Minneapolis, the refrain should be “[NAME OF GOP TOOL] wanted this.” Put their name on what they did.
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