PARKERSBURG — U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) said Wednesday she is open to limiting funding and authority for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while Congress works to finalize a federal spending package, according a report from The Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
Capito made the comments during a press call ahead of a test vote that blocked legislation to fund Homeland Security and other agencies. She said she supports moving most of the spending bill forward but is open to Democrats’ request to separate out the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, for additional discussion.
“The job of an ICE agent is difficult, and I think that we’ve got to tone the rhetoric down. Not just the rhetoric; we’ve got to tone the whole thing down,” Capito said, responding to calls for reforms in the wake of the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal officers in Minneapolis last month.
She indicated support for certain proposals from Democrats, such as de-escalation training and the use of body cameras, and did not rule out steps that could curb ICE’s operations.
“I can support that strategy if that’s what the leadership decides to do,” Capito said.
Capito also addressed how the U.S. should handle undocumented immigrants, saying some could remain in the country while violent offenders should be deported.
“I think the focus should be on removing violent criminals who have already been convicted of crimes, who are here illegally,” she said.
Capito warned that critical federal agencies (including FEMA, the Transportation Security Administration, the Secret Service, and the Coast Guard) could face furloughs.
“We need to have our FEMA disaster funds and FEMA disaster folks at the ready,” she said, citing the winter storm currently affecting large regions of the country.
Her remarks signal a willingness to consider scaling back ICE’s funding and operational reach as part of broader budget negotiations.
