Dem Rep Jayapal Calls for Reparations for Illegal Aliens Traumatized by ICE [WATCH]

Rep. Pramila Jayapal said Friday that illegal aliens should receive reparations for what she described as trauma resulting from immigration enforcement actions under President Donald Trump, outlining a proposal during a congressional hearing while a broader dispute over Department of Homeland Security funding continues in Washington.

Jayapal made the remarks during a hearing she hosted titled “Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Attack on Children,” where she spoke alongside a panel of invited experts.

At the conclusion of the session, she stated, “We are going to have to have some form of reparation for the kids and the families that have been traumatized through all of this.”

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The lawmaker, who represents Washington state and was born in India before becoming a U.S. citizen in 2000, has been a critic of the administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

During President Trump’s tenure, the Department of Homeland Security carried out multiple Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations aimed at identifying and removing individuals in the country illegally.

Those operations led to clashes between federal officials and pro-immigration protesters in several areas, including Minnesota, where Renee Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot.

Jayapal serves as the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement.

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She indicated that her proposal could move forward if Democrats regain control of the House and she becomes chair of the subcommittee. “If I am chair of the immigration subcommittee, we will be pursuing all of these pieces,” Jayapal said.

She also called for additional legal action tied to immigration enforcement.

“We need offensive actions around prosecutions. We need real accountability because at the end of the day, the people that have been inflicting this harm need to be prosecuted,” she said.

“They need to be brought before us and they need to be held account for the trauma that they have created, and we are going to have to have some form of reparation”

According to Jayapal, the proposed reparations would be used to fund support for individuals who did not receive relief following interactions with immigration officials.

She said, “There’s a lot that’s on our plate but I want you to know how seriously we take this issue and how committed I am.”

Jayapal did not provide details on how such a program would be funded or how eligibility would be determined.

Her remarks came as the House approved a stopgap funding bill Friday night by a 213-209 vote that would fund the Department of Homeland Security for 60 days. The legislation is not expected to pass the Senate.

Jayapal cited her opposition to immigration enforcement as the reason for voting against the measure.

“I have been clear since the start of the appropriations process; I will not vote to give Trump’s ICE or CBP another cent without major reforms,” she said in a statement.

She added, “ICE and CBP agents have killed American citizens on the streets, terrorized communities, and forever traumatized families and children. Republicans in the House and Senate continue to refuse to implement any meaningful reforms — it appears they want ICE and CBP to continue their lawless reign of terror against American families and communities.”

The Department of Homeland Security has been unfunded since Feb. 14.

Senate Democrats have used the 60-vote filibuster threshold to block DHS funding while seeking changes to immigration enforcement policies.

Those demands include restrictions on ICE agents wearing masks and tighter judicial warrant requirements, proposals that Republicans have rejected.

At the same time, President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act has provided funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection through 2029, meaning the current funding lapse affects other components of DHS, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The disagreement over DHS funding and immigration policy remains unresolved as lawmakers continue negotiations.

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