In a move that has sparked outrage among Democrats and raised alarm bells across the country, House Republicans voted to strike down a proposed amendment that would have made it explicitly illegal to detain or deport U.S. citizens under immigration laws.
Representative Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) sounded the alarm on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: “Republicans just voted to allow Trump to deport U.S. citizens to a foreign country,” he wrote. “Now they won’t protect veterans from being fired at the Department of Justice just for the ‘sake of government efficiency.’ Our veterans deserve better. Americans deserve better.” He also shared a video from the House session where the amendment was voted down.
The proposed change, introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), was straightforward: it would have prohibited federal immigration agencies like ICE from using any funds to detain or deport U.S. citizens. Jayapal pleaded with the committee: “My amendment is simple, and I hope that it has bipartisan support. It simply states that none of the funds in this bill may be used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain or deport U.S. citizens.”
Despite this, Republicans voted it down.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) echoed Swalwell’s warning. “Republicans just voted to give Trump the ability to legally deport US citizens,” she said. On social media, the response was swift and furious. One user said Crockett and Swalwell “begged House Judiciary Republicans to vote NO. They offered deals, sweeteners, the whole damn package. And those soulless traitors STILL voted to let Trump exile American citizens. This isn’t just betrayal—it’s the birth of authoritarian rule.”
The vote comes amid growing concern over President Donald Trump’s repeated suggestions that he would deport not just undocumented immigrants—but even U.S.-born citizens who commit crimes. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said: “We have some horrible criminals, American grown, born… I think if we could get El Salvador or somebody to take them, I’d be very happy with it. But I have to see what the law says.”
Republicans just voted to allow Trump to deport U.S. citizens to a foreign country. Now they won't protect veterans from being fired at the Department of Justice just for the "sake of government efficiency."
Our veterans deserve better. Americans deserve better. pic.twitter.com/5ip9RQd3Di
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) April 30, 2025
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that Trump was “floating the idea” and admitted, “We’re not sure if there is [a legal pathway].”
That legal uncertainty hasn’t stopped action. In a shocking recent case, a federal judge said he had a “strong suspicion” that a 2-year-old U.S. citizen was deported to Honduras without any real process, alongside her non-citizen mother and sister. “It is illegal and unconstitutional to deport, detain for deportation, or recommend deportation of a US citizen,” the judge stated flatly.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a recent Supreme Court opinion, warned: “The Government’s argument… implies that it could deport and incarcerate any person, including U. S. citizens, without legal consequence, so long as it does so before a court can intervene. That view refutes itself.”
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) put it bluntly: “The fact that Democrats and my colleague Representative Pramila Jayapal feel the need to even introduce an amendment that says ICE cannot deport U.S. citizens is bats**t crazy.”
Despite all this, Republicans on the Judiciary Committee rejected the amendment, opening the door for what critics are calling a “legal gray zone” where the Trump administration—or any future administration—could push the limits of immigration enforcement, potentially at the expense of American citizens.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) didn’t hold back either: “The Trump Administration is not targeting the worst of the worst. They’re arresting judges. They’re using federal agents to round up law-abiding members of our communities with no criminal records.”
The Department of Homeland Security insists no U.S. citizens have been unlawfully deported, and that in the case of children sent with parents, it was the parent’s choice. But Democrats argue that if parents feel forced to choose between separation or exile, then the process is already broken.
With Trump again floating extreme immigration ideas and Republicans refusing to add clear protections for U.S. citizens, Democrats are warning: the system is dangerously close to being abused. And they’re sounding the alarm.
