Critical Homeland Security Funding Gap Risks American Safety

By Jim Thomas | Saturday, February 14, 2026, 12:16 PM EST

Representative Nicole Malliotakis of New York said the Department of Homeland Security’s recent funding lapse is “absolutely shameful” and “very irresponsible,” warning that the impasse jeopardizes core security and emergency functions after the agency entered a partial shutdown due to an expired short-term funding extension.

Malliotakis, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, stated that New York Democrats Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer “know very well” what is at stake if Congress fails to fund Homeland Security. She accused them of “playing politics with ICE,” emphasizing that the dispute extends beyond immigration enforcement.

The representative noted lawmakers are not funding the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, or FEMA, and that the lapse also impacts counterterrorism and cybersecurity operations. Malliotakis argued such actions are “very irresponsible” and place American citizens, law enforcement personnel, and service members at immediate risk.

She further highlighted local issues in New York City, where she claimed rogue judges allow criminals to evade ICE by exiting courthouses through back doors. Malliotakis cited recent ICE arrests of individuals with 24 criminal convictions and sex offenders and pedophiles, calling it “ludicrous” that Democrats are willing to shut down the Department of Homeland Security over such cases.

When asked how sanctuary cities can address ICE issues, Malliotakis urged them to cooperate by quietly turning over criminals at courthouses and jails.