Cornyn Calls Democrats’ DHS Funding Threat ‘Taking the Wrong Hostage’

By Jim Thomas | Saturday, February 14, 2026

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Saturday that Democrats threatening to withhold funding for the Department of Homeland Security are “taking the wrong hostage,” casting the dispute as an attempt to blunt immigration enforcement that would instead needlessly ripple across other DHS agencies.

Cornyn argued the funding fight is misdirected. When asked whether the standoff targets Immigration and Customs Enforcement while affecting broader DHS operations, Cornyn stated Democrats have “certainly taken the wrong hostage,” adding, “yes, I think this is the party of defund police, abolish ICE, and they don’t want us enforcing immigration laws.”

Cornyn referenced Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s assertion that ICE accounts for about 11% of the department’s budget. He emphasized Republicans ran on border security, saying, “President Trump and Republicans won the election last November based on our commitment to secure the border and enforce the law,” and added, “President Trump has done exactly what he said he would do and what the voters called for.”

Cornyn asserted the Democrats’ pressure tactic would not achieve its goals. When asked whether the dispute aims to cut ICE, he responded, “This hostage they’ve taken is not going to do anything to defund ICE,” noting that Republicans have included DHS in the Working Family Tax Cuts Act and provided additional funding for both DHS and ICE.

He warned consequences would extend beyond immigration enforcement. When questioned about agencies affected by a funding lapse, Cornyn said, “What it does, as you point out, it affects other agencies, like the Transportation Security Agency that provides security at airports, the Federal Emergency Management Agency that helps states and localities deal with emergencies.”

Cornyn concluded, “They’ve taken the wrong hostage,” adding, “I think this is going to prove to be a bad mistake.”