Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), a progressive lawmaker, has proposed that illegal immigrants be compensated for the trauma they endured due to the Trump administration’s immigration policies and ICE operations across the country.
Jayapal made this announcement on Friday during a hearing she hosted, called “Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Attack on Children,” in front of a panel of “experts.”
“We are going to have to have some form of reparation for the kids and the families that have been traumatized through all of this,” Jayapal stated at the conclusion of the hearing.
At 60 years old, Jayapal, originally from India and a U.S. citizen since 2000, has consistently criticized President Trump and his immigration policies.
Under Trump, the Department of Homeland Security initiated several ICE operations to locate illegal immigrants, resulting in violent encounters with pro-immigration protesters, including the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
Jayapal holds the position of ranking member in the House Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement.
She has vowed to advance her reparations proposal if the Democrats regain control of the House and she is elected to lead the subcommittee.
“If I am chair of the immigration subcommittee, we will be pursuing all of these pieces,” Jayapal stated.
“We need offensive actions around prosecutions. We need real accountability because, at the end of the day, the people that have been inflicting this harm need to be prosecuted,” Jayapal said. “They need to be brought before us and they need to be held accountable for the trauma that they have created.”
Jayapal’s draft proposal suggests that the reparations would fund “support” for those who did not receive relief after their interactions with immigration authorities.
“There’s a lot that’s on our plate, but I want you to know how seriously we take this issue and how committed I am,” she remarked.
Jayapal has not disclosed the funding source for the reparations or the criteria for eligibility.
The congresswoman, serving her fifth term, cited her opposition to ICE as the reason for voting against the House-passed stopgap bill on Friday night.
“I have been clear since the start of the appropriations process; I will not vote to give Trump’s ICE or CBP another cent without major reforms,” she stated. “ICE and CBP agents have killed American citizens on the streets, terrorized communities, and forever traumatized families and children. Republicans in the House and Senate continue to refuse to implement any meaningful reforms — it appears they want ICE and CBP to continue their lawless reign of terror against American families and communities.”
The bill, passed by a 213-209 vote, would finance the DHS for 60 days, though it is unlikely to pass in the Senate.
The DHS has not been funded since February 14.
Senate Democrats have utilized the 60-vote filibuster to obstruct DHS funding while insisting on extensive reforms to ICE, including limitations on agents wearing masks and a more stringent judicial warrant system—both of which Republicans oppose.
President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act provides funds to ICE and CBP until 2029, with the current shutdown affecting other parts of Homeland Security, such as TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard.
