Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) sharply criticized what he called the “Karen wing” of the Democratic Party for stalling full funding of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in pursuit of immigration enforcement rollbacks.
Kennedy is warning that the standoff reflects escalating hostility toward federal law enforcement.
The senator’s remarks followed a combative House hearing in which Democrats aggressively questioned the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
It’s a spectacle that the Louisiana Republican compared to chaos inside a psychiatric ward.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Fox News’s “The Faulkner Focus,” Kennedy said:
“This is not a rational process.
“This discussion we’re having is not a discussion about how we should use scarce taxpayer resources to fund the Department of Homeland Security.”
He accused progressive Democrats of driving the impasse.
“The Karen wing of the Democratic Party wants to defund ICE, just like they wanted to defund the police, and we know how that vampire movie turned out,” Kennedy said, adding the faction now dominates the party.
Kennedy further argued that even total Republican concessions on ICE policy would not secure Democratic support for DHS funding.
“The Karen Wing will punish any Democrat that votes to keep the Department of Homeland Security open,” he said.
Shutdown Threat Looms Despite ICE Funding
Lawmakers are racing to avoid a third government shutdown under President Donald Trump.
Any lapse in funding would be limited to DHS, impacting agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration, and Coast Guard.
Meanwhile, ICE operations would continue, bolstered by billions provided through Trump’s recent legislation.
Democratic pressure to curb ICE intensified after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, events that fueled renewed calls from the party’s activist base to restrict immigration enforcement powers.
Kennedy Targets Anti-ICE Activists
Kennedy also condemned anti-ICE demonstrators, describing some activists as unsettling while affirming their constitutional right to protest.
“You can be deeply weird in America,” Kennedy said.
“You can protest.
“What you can’t do is protest violently… if you protest violently and act like a butthead and try to interfere with a cop, it’s not gonna end well.
“Even your cocker spaniel knows that.”
He offered a blunt closing warning:
“Most cops, including ICE officers, will leave you alone unless you do illegal stuff.”
Broader Fight Over Immigration Enforcement
Kennedy’s comments highlight the widening divide between Republicans backing aggressive immigration enforcement and Democrats increasingly aligned with activist efforts to scale it back.
With DHS funding hanging in the balance and anti-ICE rhetoric intensifying, the clash underscores a central battle of President Trump’s second term.
The outcome will determine whether federal immigration authorities will be strengthened or politically dismantled by Democratic opposition and their activist allies.
READ MORE – Ilhan Omar Suggests Trump Face Death Penalty: ‘In Somalia They Execute Pedophiles’
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