Jayapal, Democrats Stunned After GOP Votes ‘No’ To Prevent Deportation Of Citizens

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC — A heated debate erupted in the House Judiciary Committee this week as Republicans unanimously voted down a Democratic amendment that would have barred Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using federal funds to detain or deport U.S. citizens.

The amendment was introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcemen. Citing recent cases of U.S. citizens being wrongly detained by immigration authorities under President Trump’s second term, Jayapal called the practice “unconstitutional, dangerous, and fundamentally wrong.”

The GOP’s rejection of the measure shocked Democratic members. “The fact that Democrats and my colleague Representative Pramila Jayapal feel the need to even introduce an amendment that says ICE cannot deport U.S. citizens is bats**t crazy. It is not even a question. U.S. citizens cannot be deported by ICE. It’s the law, it’s the Constitution,” said Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA).

Rep. Eric Swalwell, also a Dem from CA echoed the outrage, calling the vote “one of the most shocking things I have seen.” He added that Democrats were “stunned” that protecting citizens from unlawful detention was not a bipartisan priority.

Despite Democrats introducing multiple amendments — one to prevent ICE from deporting without due process, and another specifically to protect U.S. citizens — Republicans held firm.

The rejection comes amid broader concerns that immigration enforcement under the Trump administration is being used as a political weapon, extending far beyond undocumented immigrants to include students and legal residents.

Jayapal, joined by 142 members of Congress, also sounded the alarm on the termination of student visa statuses. Although students are not being immediately deported, many are barred from reentering the U.S. after the semester ends, as the State Department has refused to restore their visas.

“This is not about national security,” the lawmakers wrote in a joint letter. “It is about using immigration enforcement as a weapon to stifle political dissent, restrict due process, and enforce an exclusionary and nativist vision of America that runs counter to everything our institutions of higher learning stand for.”

Reports have confirmed that more than 1,800 students and recent graduates across 280 colleges and universities have had their visas revoked. Some were detained by masked agents in unmarked vehicles with little explanation or warning.

The letter further warns that the Trump administration is using AI-driven tools to scan students’ social media profiles as part of the visa revocation process, raising alarms about surveillance, bias, and civil liberties.

“Our campuses have been spaces where students and scholars from around the world come together to challenge assumptions and foster innovation,” the letter reads. “But today, the administration’s politically motivated immigration enforcement is turning universities into places of fear, rather than learning.”