Rep. Juan Vargas Urges Deep DHS, ICE Funding Cuts After Minneapolis Shooting
In a new podcast interview focused on the Minneapolis ICE killing of Renee Nicole Good, California Democratic Rep. Juan Vargas said the Department of Homeland Security 'shouldn’t continue as it is' and vowed to fight to 'drastically reduce' its funding so ICE only pursues murderers and rapists. Speaking on Kate Powell’s show in an episode titled 'Impeaching Noem,' Vargas backed efforts to impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of violating the law and applauding unlawful conduct by ICE and related agencies. He argued Congress should not 'give more money' to an agency he says is 'attacking families' and called it 'criminal on our part' to continue funding current operations in Minnesota, where DHS says the agent who shot Good suffered internal bleeding after being hit by her car. The comments go further than many Democrats who criticize ICE tactics but stop short of explicit defund‑and‑rebuild talk, signaling how the Minneapolis raids and shootings are hardening a faction of the party against continued broad funding for the agency.
📌 Key Facts
- Rep. Juan Vargas told host Kate Powell that DHS 'shouldn’t continue as it is' and that he is 'fighting to drastically reduce the amount of money' so ICE focuses only on murderers and rapists.
- Vargas said he will 'do everything I can' to impeach and remove DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, alleging she has violated the law and encourages ICE abuses.
- The interview is framed around the ICE killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis and DHS’s claim that the agent who shot her suffered internal bleeding after being struck by her vehicle.
📊 Relevant Data
As of September 2025, 71 percent of ICE detainees had no criminal conviction, while 25 percent had a pending criminal charge, most of which were immigration-related.
U.S. Immigrant Detention Grows to Record — Migration Policy Institute
In 2025, there were at least 32 deaths in ICE custody, making it the deadliest year for ICE detainees in more than two decades.
2025 was ICE's deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died in custody — The Guardian
The racial distribution of Minneapolis population in 2025 is approximately 61.59% White, 18.25% Black or African American, 1.07% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.22% Asian, 0.06% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 5.56% from other races, and 8.25% from two or more races; additionally, 9.85% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Minneapolis, MN Population by Race & Ethnicity - 2025 Update — Neilsberg Research
Chief reasons for migration include work, economic opportunity, and family reunification, with notable trends in 2025 involving large-scale movements driven by these factors amid global events.
Top 10 Migration Issues of 2025 — Migration Policy Institute
Net migration to the US was negative in 2025, estimated between -10,000 and -295,000, marking the first negative net migration in at least half a century.
Macroeconomic implications of immigration flows in 2025 and 2026 — Brookings Institution
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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