Her campaign's spokesman defended her vote to keep the Department of Homeland Security operating and called for leaders focused on keeping government funded and standing behind the officers who protect the country. The campaign pages reviewed state no broader immigration position.
On the Senate floor on March 12, 2026, nearly a month into the lapse in Homeland Security funding, she urged the Senate to take up the department's funding bill and said defunding ICE and Customs and Border Protection is not a serious policy solution. She voted Yea on all seven motions to take up H.R. 7147, the Homeland Security funding bill, from February 12 to March 26, 2026 (Roll Calls 38, 39, 47, 54, 59, 71 and 74). Each fell short of the 60 votes needed. The version the Senate then passed by voice vote became law on April 30 and set funding in the bill for ICE, and for CBP's border security operations, at zero. On June 5 she voted Yea on S. 2, the Secure America Act, which passed 52 to 47 and became law on June 10. It gives ICE another $38.5 billion, including $7.45 billion for Homeland Security Investigations, and CBP another $26 billion, available through September 2029. Limit: The seven votes were on starting debate, and the Senate passed the bill without a recorded vote. She also voted for Bernie Sanders's failed amendment on January 30 to take back some ICE money and undo Medicaid changes, and on June 5 to waive budget rules for Dick Durbin's failed amendment to move some ICE money to DACA applications.