The Daily Punch Fly Out Day: Inside the funding fight with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto
Jan 29, 2026
Catherine Cortez Masto, U.S. senator from Nevada and the first Latina in the Senate, discusses DHS funding fights and calls for accountability, training and constitutional safeguards. She talks Nevada’s shifting electorate, tourism and tariff impacts, fixing the gambling tax, and the politics around future Senate plans and leadership dynamics.
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DHS Funding Fueled Rapid ICE Expansion
- Catherine Cortez Masto says DHS funding enabled rapid expansion of ICE with lowered hiring and training standards.
- She argues that surplus funding turned ICE into a de facto national police force that threatens civil rights.
Insist On Training And Accountability
- Demand accountability, training, and constitutional protections when negotiating DHS funding.
- Insist on de-escalation training and coordination with local law enforcement before approving dollars.
Ruling Signals Raise Profiling Fears
- Masto warns Supreme Court signals allow racial profiling in immigration enforcement.
- She says that perceived tolerance of profiling undermines constitutional protections and fuels fear in Latino communities.