"Republicans Are Not on the Same Planet as the American People" — What Chuck Schumer Actually Said About the $140 Billion ICE Fight
Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, are once again showing how detached they are from reality. Claiming Republicans are “not on the same planet” for pushing $140 billion to fund ICE and Border Patrol reveals a stunning disregard for the chaos at our southern border. While families struggle with crime, fentanyl deaths, and overwhelmed communities, Schumer prioritizes open borders over American safety.
Strong enforcement isn’t extreme—it’s essential to restore order and protect our sovereignty. Years of lax policies have invited millions of illegal crossings, straining resources and endangering citizens. Funding our border agents properly is a basic duty of government that Democrats continue to block with endless excuses and demands for more bureaucracy.
Americans deserve leaders who put citizens first, not special interests or political games. It’s time to secure the border decisively and end the madness that has defined the current approach. The Republican Army post is almost word-for-word accurate — and it's from this week's late-night Senate fight.
On Wednesday night, April 23, 2026, during a nearly six-hour "vote-a-rama," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer took the floor to blast the GOP's plan to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. He did not use the exact phrase "not on the same planet" in the transcript, but he came very close in meaning, and he did say Republicans want to give $140 billion to ICE and Border Patrol — and that "nobody respects" those agencies.
Here's the full context.
What Schumer saidAccording to the Washington Examiner, which covered the live debate, Schumer said during the debate on the $70 billion border funding package:
"America is crying out for relief from high costs, and you're here adding $140 billion to an agency that nobody — two groups — Border Patrol and ICE, that nobody respects in this country."
The Examiner also reported his broader argument: with high gas prices and affordability still top of mind, Republicans should be focusing on lowering the cost of living instead of funding ICE and CBP.
On the Senate Democratic website, Schumer's floor remarks from the same week echo the "different planet" framing the meme uses. He has repeatedly urged Republicans to "join Democrats in passing reforms to hold ICE accountable," criticizing "unchecked violence" and demanding an end to racial profiling and masked agents, citing incidents in Minneapolis and Portland.
The $140 billion figure is not made up — it's the number Republicans themselves put in their budget resolution.
Where the $140 billion comes fromSenate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham unveiled the plan on Tuesday, April 22. Fox News reported:
"It comes with the eye-popping price tag of $140 billion over the next three and a half years."
The structure is technical but important:
The resolution instructs the Senate Judiciary Committee to add up to $70 billion to the deficit, and the Senate Homeland Security Committee to add up to another $70 billion — $70 billion each — "over the next handful of years to fund immigration operations." That is why Schumer and Democrats say "$140 billion," while news headlines say "$70 billion" — both are right. The Senate voted early Thursday on a first $70 billion tranche. Reuters described it as "a $70 billion plan to fund the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agencies for the next three years." The full Republican blueprint doubles it to $140 billion if both committees use their full allowance.
Graham defended it: "Now is not the time to defund Border Patrol, and now is certainly not the time to put ICE out of business. These men and women have been dealing with the consequences of the over 11 million illegal immigrants that came to the United States during the Biden Administration."
Why Schumer said "nobody respects" ICEThat line was not random. It came after two months of Democratic anger over ICE tactics:
Minneapolis shootings. In February 2026, ICE agents fatally shot two US citizens who tried to intervene in an arrest. Democrats demanded body cameras, visible IDs, and warrants for home entries.DHS shutdown. Democrats have refused since mid-February to fund ICE and CBP without those reforms, triggering a partial DHS shutdown now in its 9th week. Republicans responded by splitting ICE/CBP funding from the rest of DHS and using budget reconciliation — which needs only 50 votes — to bypass Democrats.Polling. Schumer's office cited a Reuters/Ipsos poll this month showing 54% of Americans say their finances have worsened due to gas prices, and that "healthcare tops the list" of what voters want Congress to fix — not immigration enforcement.Schumer's argument: Republicans are "on a different planet" because voters want cost-of-living relief, and the GOP is pushing a $140 billion enforcement surge.
Republicans heard it differently. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso replied on the floor: "Today's Democrats are a rogue and radical party. You deserve better than reckless Democrat hostage-taking." Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin went further on Fox News Thursday, calling Schumer a "lying scumbag politician" and saying, "Chuck Schumer, no one respects you."
Is the $140 billion just for deportations?Mostly, yes. The Republican resolution is narrowly tailored — Thune said repeatedly it is "narrow and focused on ensuring that the ICE and CBP are funded well into the future."
According to GOP staff documents, the money would cover:
20,000 new ICE deportation officers10-20 new detention facilities150+ deportation flights per week (up from ∼35 now)Border wall system upgrades, drones, and surveillance towersRetention bonuses for Border Patrol agents through 2029It does not fund TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard, or Secret Service — those were funded separately by the Senate in March, but House Republicans have blocked that bill until ICE is funded.
Democrats offered 12 amendments during the vote-a-rama to redirect some money to food assistance, school meals, and healthcare subsidies. All failed on party-line votes.
Did Schumer really say Republicans "want to give" the money?Yes, but with context. The $140 billion is not a direct appropriation yet — it's a budget resolution, a blueprint. The Senate passed it 50-48 early Thursday (with Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski joining Democrats in opposition). It now goes to the House, then committees must write the actual spending bill, then it returns for a final reconciliation vote.
Schumer was describing intent, not a completed transfer. But Republicans openly embrace the number — Graham, Thune, and Johnson all said this week they intend to spend the full amount.
Why this matters nowThis is the third reconciliation attempt in 12 months, and likely the last before the November 2026 midterms. Republicans control 53 Senate seats and need only 50 (with VP JD Vance breaking ties) to pass it without Democrats.
Schumer's "nobody respects" line is politically risky — Border Patrol unions immediately fundraised off it, and polling shows ICE remains deeply polarizing: 78% of Republicans view ICE favorably, 12% of Democrats do (Gallup March 2026). But his core message — "$140 billion for deportations while families can't afford groceries" — is the Democratic midterm strategy.
The meme strips out the nuance but captures the real quote and the real number. Schumer did attack ICE's reputation and he did cite $140 billion. He framed it as proof Republicans are disconnected from voters' economic pain. Republicans framed it as proof Democrats are disconnected from border security.
Bottom lineDid Chuck Schumer say "Republicans are not on the same planet as the American people... Republicans want to give 140 billion dollars to ICE and Border Patrol"? He didn't use those exact words in one sentence, but he said the substance on the Senate floor April 23, 2026: that America wants cost relief, and Republicans are adding "$140 billion to an agency that nobody — Border Patrol and ICE — that nobody respects in this country."
The $140 billion is real — it's the top-line number in the GOP budget resolution for ICE and CBP over three and a half years. The Senate has advanced the first $70 billion of it, with a party-line vote, using reconciliation to bypass Democratic demands for reforms like body cameras and warrants.
The post is partisan framing, but the quote and the price tag are not invented. They are the central flashpoint of the DHS shutdown fight — and the reason both parties are now accusing each other of living on a different planet.
Strong enforcement isn’t extreme—it’s essential to restore order and protect our sovereignty. Years of lax policies have invited millions of illegal crossings, straining resources and endangering citizens. Funding our border agents properly is a basic duty of government that Democrats continue to block with endless excuses and demands for more bureaucracy.
Americans deserve leaders who put citizens first, not special interests or political games. It’s time to secure the border decisively and end the madness that has defined the current approach. The Republican Army post is almost word-for-word accurate — and it's from this week's late-night Senate fight.
On Wednesday night, April 23, 2026, during a nearly six-hour "vote-a-rama," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer took the floor to blast the GOP's plan to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. He did not use the exact phrase "not on the same planet" in the transcript, but he came very close in meaning, and he did say Republicans want to give $140 billion to ICE and Border Patrol — and that "nobody respects" those agencies.
Here's the full context.
What Schumer saidAccording to the Washington Examiner, which covered the live debate, Schumer said during the debate on the $70 billion border funding package:
"America is crying out for relief from high costs, and you're here adding $140 billion to an agency that nobody — two groups — Border Patrol and ICE, that nobody respects in this country."
The Examiner also reported his broader argument: with high gas prices and affordability still top of mind, Republicans should be focusing on lowering the cost of living instead of funding ICE and CBP.
On the Senate Democratic website, Schumer's floor remarks from the same week echo the "different planet" framing the meme uses. He has repeatedly urged Republicans to "join Democrats in passing reforms to hold ICE accountable," criticizing "unchecked violence" and demanding an end to racial profiling and masked agents, citing incidents in Minneapolis and Portland.
The $140 billion figure is not made up — it's the number Republicans themselves put in their budget resolution.
Where the $140 billion comes fromSenate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham unveiled the plan on Tuesday, April 22. Fox News reported:
"It comes with the eye-popping price tag of $140 billion over the next three and a half years."
The structure is technical but important:
The resolution instructs the Senate Judiciary Committee to add up to $70 billion to the deficit, and the Senate Homeland Security Committee to add up to another $70 billion — $70 billion each — "over the next handful of years to fund immigration operations." That is why Schumer and Democrats say "$140 billion," while news headlines say "$70 billion" — both are right. The Senate voted early Thursday on a first $70 billion tranche. Reuters described it as "a $70 billion plan to fund the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agencies for the next three years." The full Republican blueprint doubles it to $140 billion if both committees use their full allowance.
Graham defended it: "Now is not the time to defund Border Patrol, and now is certainly not the time to put ICE out of business. These men and women have been dealing with the consequences of the over 11 million illegal immigrants that came to the United States during the Biden Administration."
Why Schumer said "nobody respects" ICEThat line was not random. It came after two months of Democratic anger over ICE tactics:
Minneapolis shootings. In February 2026, ICE agents fatally shot two US citizens who tried to intervene in an arrest. Democrats demanded body cameras, visible IDs, and warrants for home entries.DHS shutdown. Democrats have refused since mid-February to fund ICE and CBP without those reforms, triggering a partial DHS shutdown now in its 9th week. Republicans responded by splitting ICE/CBP funding from the rest of DHS and using budget reconciliation — which needs only 50 votes — to bypass Democrats.Polling. Schumer's office cited a Reuters/Ipsos poll this month showing 54% of Americans say their finances have worsened due to gas prices, and that "healthcare tops the list" of what voters want Congress to fix — not immigration enforcement.Schumer's argument: Republicans are "on a different planet" because voters want cost-of-living relief, and the GOP is pushing a $140 billion enforcement surge.
Republicans heard it differently. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso replied on the floor: "Today's Democrats are a rogue and radical party. You deserve better than reckless Democrat hostage-taking." Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin went further on Fox News Thursday, calling Schumer a "lying scumbag politician" and saying, "Chuck Schumer, no one respects you."
Is the $140 billion just for deportations?Mostly, yes. The Republican resolution is narrowly tailored — Thune said repeatedly it is "narrow and focused on ensuring that the ICE and CBP are funded well into the future."
According to GOP staff documents, the money would cover:
20,000 new ICE deportation officers10-20 new detention facilities150+ deportation flights per week (up from ∼35 now)Border wall system upgrades, drones, and surveillance towersRetention bonuses for Border Patrol agents through 2029It does not fund TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard, or Secret Service — those were funded separately by the Senate in March, but House Republicans have blocked that bill until ICE is funded.
Democrats offered 12 amendments during the vote-a-rama to redirect some money to food assistance, school meals, and healthcare subsidies. All failed on party-line votes.
Did Schumer really say Republicans "want to give" the money?Yes, but with context. The $140 billion is not a direct appropriation yet — it's a budget resolution, a blueprint. The Senate passed it 50-48 early Thursday (with Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski joining Democrats in opposition). It now goes to the House, then committees must write the actual spending bill, then it returns for a final reconciliation vote.
Schumer was describing intent, not a completed transfer. But Republicans openly embrace the number — Graham, Thune, and Johnson all said this week they intend to spend the full amount.
Why this matters nowThis is the third reconciliation attempt in 12 months, and likely the last before the November 2026 midterms. Republicans control 53 Senate seats and need only 50 (with VP JD Vance breaking ties) to pass it without Democrats.
Schumer's "nobody respects" line is politically risky — Border Patrol unions immediately fundraised off it, and polling shows ICE remains deeply polarizing: 78% of Republicans view ICE favorably, 12% of Democrats do (Gallup March 2026). But his core message — "$140 billion for deportations while families can't afford groceries" — is the Democratic midterm strategy.
The meme strips out the nuance but captures the real quote and the real number. Schumer did attack ICE's reputation and he did cite $140 billion. He framed it as proof Republicans are disconnected from voters' economic pain. Republicans framed it as proof Democrats are disconnected from border security.
Bottom lineDid Chuck Schumer say "Republicans are not on the same planet as the American people... Republicans want to give 140 billion dollars to ICE and Border Patrol"? He didn't use those exact words in one sentence, but he said the substance on the Senate floor April 23, 2026: that America wants cost relief, and Republicans are adding "$140 billion to an agency that nobody — Border Patrol and ICE — that nobody respects in this country."
The $140 billion is real — it's the top-line number in the GOP budget resolution for ICE and CBP over three and a half years. The Senate has advanced the first $70 billion of it, with a party-line vote, using reconciliation to bypass Democratic demands for reforms like body cameras and warrants.
The post is partisan framing, but the quote and the price tag are not invented. They are the central flashpoint of the DHS shutdown fight — and the reason both parties are now accusing each other of living on a different planet.
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