WASHINGTON, D.C. -— This week, during the Department of Homeland Security’s reconciliation bill markup, committee Republicans blocked all of U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin’s (D-MI) amendments that put necessary guardrails on DHS, tackles corruption, and protects free speech.
These amendments come after Slotkin recently traveled to the North Lake Processing Center and a warehouse in Romulus, Michigan that DHS purchased for use as another an immigration detention facility. She has also consistently asked President Trump’s political appointees during hearings if they would send DHS agents to the polls, and all four of them left the door open and refused to confirm that they would not implement this illegal plan.
HSGAC Republicans blocked the following amendments introduced by Senator Slotkin:
Prohibiting New Warehouse Detention Centers:
Amendment to prohibit the construction of new detention centers.
- Prohibits taxpayer funds from being used to retrofit facilities for immigration detention purposes if the facility meets one of the following:
- If the facility was originally constructed for commercial or industrial use
- If the facility was never intended for human habitation
- If the facility does not contain adequate sewage capacity
- If the facility sits within a quarter mile of a residential neighborhood
- If the facility is located within a mile of an elementary school
- If the facility does not have the support of local elected officials
- If the facility is in the same state as another existing facility with open detention beds.
Election Interference:
Amendment to eliminate possibility of intimidation at polling locations.
- This amendment would prohibit armed employees and contractors of DHS at the polls.
Amendment to safeguard our midterm elections from presidential interference.
- No funds for DHS employees or contractors seizing ballots or election material that is stored under Title 52 Section 20701 – the statue that requires local officials to store their ballots for 22 months.
Insider Trading:
Amendment to tackle insider trading in prediction markets.
- This amendment would provide the Office of Government Ethics the funding it needs to crack down on insider trading in prediction markets. It would ensure we accountability for executive branch employees so they cannot profit on the classified or sensitive information they receive as public servants.
Mass Surveillance of Americans:
Amendment to ensure that protect free speech and prevent mass domestic surveillance.
- This amendment would prohibit the use of funds to acquire or develop databases that collect data on individuals in the United States carrying out First Amendment-protected activities or create watchlists of such individuals.
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