Introduction

Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois has introduced sweeping legislation to dismantle the Department of Homeland Security, marking the most significant effort yet to restructure the federal agency tasked with immigration enforcement, border security, and counterterrorism.

What Happened

The Reimagining Safety Act was filed one day after Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a search warrant at the Washington, D.C., home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, sparking accusations that the department is being used to target political opponents. Ramirez argues the department has become a tool of political repression rather than public safety.

Why This Matters

Since its creation in 2003 under President George W. Bush, DHS has amassed broad surveillance and policing powers that civil liberties groups say have been disproportionately directed against Muslim Americans, immigrants, and dissenters. The proposed bill seeks to repeal what it calls duplicative and overreaching terrorism laws and transfer core functions to other agencies.

Key Takeaways

  • The legislation would replace DHS with a Department of Community Safety, placing FEMA under its umbrella and funding community violence intervention and public health approaches to gun violence.
  • Immigration enforcement would shift to the Department of Justice, while the Transportation Security Administration and Coast Guard would move to the Department of Transportation, and customs enforcement to the Treasury.
  • The bill would prohibit placing individuals on the no-fly list without a criminal conviction or warrant, and would eliminate the secretary of state's authority to designate foreign terrorist organizations.
  • At least 25 people have been shot by federal immigration agents in the past year, and at least 28 have died in ICE custody this year, according to advocacy groups.
  • Ramirez's office says the Omar raid exemplifies how DHS has been utilized by the government to target and persecute those they consider the public enemy.

Conclusion

Although the bill faces long odds in a divided Congress, Ramirez says it demonstrates what is legislatively possible when lawmakers commit to dismantling a surveillance and carceral state. The legislation reframes safety as community investment rather than enforcement, a vision that could shape future policy debates regardless of immediate passage.