Noem rips Dems for using families as ‘political weapons’ as DHS funding fight threatens life beyond ICE

By Fox News · Fox News

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned that a potential lapse in DHS funding centered on Democrat demands for ICE overhauls would have sweeping ripple effects across the entire department — potentially disrupting everything from airport screening to FEMA disaster operations. "I think they (Democrats) are using families as political weapons," Noem told Fox News Digital in a phone interview. "And this is a little bit different, because when it's the whole government that they shut down, they're not necessarily just attacking security." "This feels like a direct attack on the security of our country, our homeland. And it's almost as though they've gotten so extreme, they don't care if we're out there on the front lines keeping our country safe from terrorists, keeping our country safe from murderers and rapists," the DHS secretary continued. DHS funding is in flux after lawmakers carved the department out of a larger funding package enacted earlier this month, following Democratic demands for immigration enforcement reforms. For now, DHS is operating under a short-term extension that expires Feb. 13. REPUBLICANS WARN DEMOCRATS' ICE REFORM PUSH IS COVER TO DEFUND BORDER ENFORCEMENT Republicans have accused Democrats of holding DHS hostage as its funding deadline nears, while Democrats issued a series of 10 demands for reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday, insisting they be added to the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. As Democrats focus on forcing ICE reforms, a DHS funding lapse would ripple far beyond immigration enforcement, Noem told Fox Digital. ICE is about 11% of the department’s total budget and the other 89% would fall inside the blast radius. The Department of Homeland Security is one of Washington’s largest departments, made up of 23 agencies whose work touches daily life — from airport screening and travel to disaster response — while also carrying out core homeland security and immigrat…