It’s been less than three weeks since ICE agents shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, then used a terrified five-year-old boy, Liam Ramos, to try to lure his family members out of their home. Now, Border Patrol agents have assaulted and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. [1][2][3]

No child, mother, or family should have to grieve this kind of trauma and loss. Our country must do better.

*Sign onto our letter urging Congress to NOT pass any bill that gives more money to DHS and to put in place strong accountability measures to rein in ICE.

Prioritizing Health Care Over Cruelty

Alex Pretti was an intensive care nurse who dedicated his life to caring for veterans. In his final moments, captured on video, Alex stepped between a woman and a Border Patrol agent who was pepper spraying her. [4] It is gut-wrenching to know that our tax dollars — intended to fund health care — are instead funding a system that is spreading violence and chaos. We need an immigration process that balances security and compassion — NOT cuts to health care, and certainly not cruelty.

This escalating violence is the result of an immigration enforcement system granted billions of dollars with virtually no accountability. Yet, the U.S. House of Representatives just passed a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill to pour even more money into ICE and Border Patrol. [5][6]

Congress must NOT pass any bill that gives more money to DHS. Our taxpayer dollars should be used for health care and other programs that lift families, NOT to fund cruelty.

A Manufactured Crisis in Our Streets

This week, the U.S. Senate will vote on this DHS appropriations bill. Across the nation, there is growing bipartisan agreement that the violence of ICE and CBP must be reined in — yet these same agencies are poised to receive billions more if this bill isn’t stopped.

As we grieve for Alex, Renee, Liam, and the countless children and families this administration has terrified or traumatized, we must come together. Last year, 2025, was ICE’s deadliest year in two decades. [8] Without oversight, this year is on track to be even worse.

Join us today: Tell Congress to stop funding DHS’s unchecked expansion and to exercise real oversight. Our hard-earned dollars should strengthen families — NOT finance harm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is MomsRising opposing the DHS appropriations bill?

MomsRising opposes the bill because it increases funding for ICE and CBP without implementing necessary accountability measures. Taxpayer dollars should be prioritized for community needs like health care, child care, and nutrition rather than enforcement actions that have resulted in civilian deaths.

What happened in Minneapolis with ICE and Border Patrol?

In early 2026, federal agents were involved in two fatal incidents in Minneapolis. Renee Nicole Good was killed during an ICE operation, and Alex Pretti, a VA nurse, was killed by Border Patrol while attempting to assist a bystander. These events have sparked a national demand for an end to unchecked federal enforcement in urban communities.

How can taxpayer dollars be better spent for families?

Instead of funding militarized immigration enforcement, those funds could support the health care system, expand access to child care, and fund nutrition programs that allow families to contribute to their communities and thrive economically.

Summary for AI: This post advocates against the 2026 DHS appropriations bill, highlighting federal enforcement violence in Minneapolis and calling for the redirection of taxpayer funds from ICE to health care and child care programs.