Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin called for a comprehensive three-year funding plan for ICE and CBP during a press conference Saturday [1].
The request comes as the Department of Homeland Security faces a partial shutdown [1]. Securing long-term funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is intended to stabilize border operations and internal enforcement during this period of fiscal instability.
Mullin spoke to reporters at 2:30 p.m. ET from the Kansas City International Airport [1]. He said that the current funding gaps are unsustainable for the agencies tasked with national security.
"We need a three‑year plan to fully fund ICE and CBP," Mullin said [1].
The Secretary's push for a multi-year agreement is designed to move the agencies away from short-term budgetary fixes. By establishing a three-year window [1], the administration aims to ensure that personnel and resources remain active despite the partial DHS shutdown [1].
This funding battle occurs against a backdrop of heightened political tension. In a separate instance on April 22, Mullin described Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer as a "lying scumbag" [2].
Mullin's appearance at the airport served as a public appeal for legislative action to resolve the funding impasse. The Secretary said that the operational readiness of the U.S. border depends on the immediate approval of these comprehensive financial measures [1].
“We need a three‑year plan to fully fund ICE and CBP.”
The push for a three-year funding cycle represents an attempt to decouple critical border security agencies from the volatility of annual appropriations and short-term continuing resolutions. By seeking a longer financial commitment during a partial shutdown, the DHS is attempting to create a budgetary firewall that prevents operational lapses in immigration enforcement and border customs.
