Sen. Rick Scott: ICE Funding Plan a 'Pipe Dream'

A strong Senate ally of President Donald Trump said the idea of using reconciliation to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and include SAVE America Act provisions is "a pipe dream."

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., sharply criticized a GOP-backed proposal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by funding most of the agency while delaying full ICE funding to a future budget reconciliation bill.

"This doesn’t make any sense to me," Scott said in an interview on CNBC, arguing that Democrats have exploited the shutdown to push for policies that weaken immigration enforcement.

"Why would you just fund a part of government, especially … the part that protects Americans from illegal aliens that are committing crimes?"

According to The Hill, Scott has emerged as one of the most vocal opponents of the plan discussed by Senate Republicans and the White House, which would separate ICE funding from broader DHS operations to win Democrat support.

At the center of the debate is whether Republicans can later use reconciliation — a process that bypasses the Senate filibuster — to secure funding for ICE removal operations and advance elements of the SAVE America Act, a Trump-backed election integrity bill.

Scott dismissed that strategy outright.

"This idea that they'll get funded through a reconciliation package is a pipe dream. We’re not going to get a reconciliation package done," he said.

The Florida senator warned that reconciliation is limited to mandatory spending and cannot guarantee long-term funding for ICE agents.

He also raised doubts that enough Republicans would support another major reconciliation bill without the kind of political pressure that drove past efforts, such as tax reform.

Beyond the procedural concerns, Scott argued the proposed deal fails to address core national security issues, including border enforcement and election integrity.

"This does nothing to secure elections," he said, referencing the SAVE America Act. "We've got to secure our elections just like we secured our border."

Scott also accused Democrats of prolonging the shutdown for political leverage, pointing to the impact on frontline workers.

More than 400 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees have quit as they work without pay, contributing to long airport lines and travel disruptions nationwide.

"These poor people … can’t pay for groceries. They’re getting evicted. This is disgusting what the Democrats have done," he said.

While some Republican leaders see reconciliation as a path forward, Scott's comments highlight growing skepticism within the GOP and underscore the challenges facing any deal that leaves immigration enforcement funding unresolved.