Michigan Senate candidates have sharply divided on whether to support funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following four suspected terror attacks in the U.S. since the department was defunded during last month’s partial government shutdown. The debate comes as lawmakers face pressure to restore DHS operations amid renewed security concerns.
Republican Mike Rogers Backs DHS Funding to Enhance Security
Former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, running for Senate in Michigan and past chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has pledged to vote “Yes” on resuming DHS funding. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Rogers emphasized the urgency of fully staffing and funding DHS agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Coast Guard, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), especially amid ongoing U.S. military actions in Iran.
“We needed all hands on deck,” Rogers said, highlighting the department’s critical role in national safety. He accused Senate Democrats of prioritizing political gains over citizen security by repeatedly blocking DHS funding bills. Rogers condemned these votes as “turning their backs for some political purpose.”
Democratic Opposition Focuses on ICE and Border Agency Reforms
Senate Democrats have blocked DHS funding four times in the last month, citing the inclusion of ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the funding bills. The Democrats have called for reforms at these agencies following controversial shootings earlier this year in Minnesota involving federal immigration agents.
Michigan’s current Senators, Democrats Elissa Slotkin and Gary Peters, oppose reopening DHS funding under current terms. Among candidates for Peters’s Senate seat, progressive Abdul El-Sayed expressed concern about funding levels for ICE and counterterrorism, suggesting resources are misallocated away from the FBI and local law enforcement collaboration. Two other leading Democrats in the primary did not respond to requests for comment.
Recent Attacks Heighten Urgency of DHS Funding Debate
The funding dispute intensified as two violent incidents suspected of terrorism occurred amid the Senate’s standoff. In Virginia, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a convicted ISIS supporter and former Army National Guard soldier, killed a ROTC instructor at Old Dominion University and injured others. In Michigan, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali allegedly attacked a synagogue in West Bloomfield before being fatally shot by security.
Other recent incidents include a deadly shooting in Austin, Texas, and an attempted bombing near Gracie Mansion in New York City allegedly inspired by ISIS. These attacks raised bipartisan concern over the impact of DHS operational gaps on national security.
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