Homeland Security
Protecting our homeland means keeping communities safe while upholding our values. Police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel put themselves in harm’s way every day to keep our neighborhoods safe. Congressman Cohen is committed to strengthening homeland security by investing in preparedness, supporting first responders, and ensuring that safety efforts are effective, accountable, and respect civil liberties.
Immigration Enforcement
Congressman Cohen strongly opposes President Trump's heavy-handed and cruel approach to immigration enforcement. He has repeatedly criticized the Department of Homeland Security for not living up to its commitment to focus Department resources on the “worst of the worst.” He has also called for the resignation and impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
Specifically, Congressman Cohen believes the Trump Administration’s changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) mission and culture make the agency irreparable, and Congress must rethink immigration enforcement from the ground up. He strongly opposes ICE tactics, including the use of masks and racial profiling. ICE agents’ use of masks and unmarked vehicles is reminiscent of a secret police – one loyal to a politician’s personal interests over the rule of law, without any semblance of respecting civil rights. To that end, Congressman Cohen has cosponsored the No Secret Police Act of 2025 and the No Anonymity in Immigration Enforcement Act of 2025. Both bills require law enforcement officers to identify themselves and their agencies.
Congressman Cohen has also denounced the Administration’s flagrant use of racial profiling. In response to the Supreme Court’s blessing of this tactic and the abuses seen in Memphis, Congressman Cohen sponsored the End Racial and Religious Profiling Act of 2025. This legislation represents a comprehensive federal commitment to conquering discrimination caused by racial, ethnic, and religious profiling and restoring public confidence in the criminal justice system at-large. In the United States, everyone should be treated equally before the law and by law enforcement.
Congressman Cohen fears the Memphis Safety Task Force will become a vehicle for immigration enforcement, rather than a good-faith effort to decrease violent crime. In practice, many of the Task Force’s arrests are for immigration offenses after a traffic stop. This is a gross misuse of federal resources and undercuts the relationship between law enforcement and the community.
Congressman Cohen has also expressed frustration with how ICE is using its resources. He was outspoken about the dangers of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which turbocharged ICE with $45 billion to expand ICE detention, $30 billion for ICE personnel and enforcement operations, and over $14 billion for ICE agents and increased deportations. These resources are outsized, creating the opportunity for waste, fraud, and abuse.
This is already becoming an issue. Congressman Cohen recently wrote Attorney General Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Noem. He requested that ICE immediately stop recruitment advertisements that disparage local law enforcement and encourage officers to leave their positions and join ICE. Every officer who leaves for ICE is one fewer officer on the beat, worsening an already critical staffing shortage. Those who remain face longer hours, more mandatory overtime, and greater risk—all while feeling that their work is devalued by the federal government.
Transportation Security
Congressman Cohen believes the federal government has an important role in keeping our ports and transportation systems safe. To that end, he has continually supported funding the Port Security Grant Program, a key component of our national strategy to strengthen critical infrastructure against potential terrorist attacks.
He also wants to ensure that these security measures are structured to respect the dignity of the traveling public. He sponsored the Second Screening Act, which provides individuals who fail a machine screening before boarding a flight with an opportunity to be rescreened before a more invasive pat-down.
Election Security
Congressman Cohen believes the right to vote is one of the most sacred rights in our society, and he has worked tirelessly to make certain that this right is protected and our elections are secure. As our democracy continues to face unprecedented challenges, the right to vote remains vital for advancing the ideals of our nation. The President’s Budget for the Fiscal Year 2026 significantly reduces funding for elections, undermining the safety and accessibility of voting. Decreased funding leaves historically underrepresented communities at greater risk for voter suppression, as polls in rural and lower-income communities struggle to serve constituents with aging infrastructure and limited funding. Vulnerable communities will be disproportionately affected by these budget cuts, forced to rely heavily on funding accrued by the county’s property taxes, a system that favors higher-income communities.
Congressman Cohen has opposed this approach. Rather, he supported the Securing America’s Federal Elections (SAFE) Act, which would have authorized $600 million to enhance security ahead of the 2020 election, as well as banning voting machines from being connected to the internet and from being produced in foreign countries.