Democratic candidates won several high-profile races in Texas and secured a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2026 midterm elections. The results included the election of Gina Hinojosa (D) as the first Latina governor of Texas and the state's first Democratic U.S. senator in nearly 40 years. In the U.S. House, Democratic leaders have stated they intend to use their new committee chairmanships to increase oversight of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The election followed a year of expanded immigration enforcement under the second Trump administration. In 2025 and 2026, Congress authorized approximately $240 billion for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. These funds supported a mass deportation operation and the expansion of detention facilities, some of which were converted from large warehouses. Exit polling indicated that immigration policy was a primary concern for voters, particularly among Hispanic communities in Texas border counties that shifted their support from Republicans in 2024 to Democrats in 2026.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the incoming chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, stated he will investigate ICE accountability. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), expected to lead the House Homeland Security Committee, proposed legislation to require federal immigration agents to use body-worn cameras and to prohibit the use of face coverings during operations. Advocates from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the New York Immigrant Coalition have called for the use of subpoenas to examine ICE's activities and funding.
President Trump responded to the election results by stating he would use his veto power to block legislative changes, referring to himself as "Mr. Veto." Following the elections, the administration promoted White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller to chief of staff. Miller was a primary architect of the administration's detention and deportation policies. Additionally, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin stated via social media that "Deportations will continue," while Vice President JD Vance suggested focusing future enforcement on businesses that hire undocumented workers rather than offering amnesty.
The scale of the funding already authorized means that ICE possesses the financial resources to maintain current deportation operations through the remainder of President Trump's term, regardless of new House leadership. For the two major private detention companies, CoreCivic and the GEO Group, the political shift introduces uncertainty regarding future contracts. CoreCivic executives have advised the administration to move quickly on new detention center purchases before the new Congress is seated in January 2027.
The immediate impact will be felt in Texas, where Governor-elect Hinojosa faces requests from advocacy groups like FIEL to end state partnerships with ICE and provide driver's licenses to undocumented residents. While Houston has already begun reducing local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities, the state-level shift could alter how law enforcement resources are used across the second-largest U.S. state. The next steps include the seating of the new Congress in January 2027, which will mark the beginning of committee investigations and potential attempts to claw back previously allocated funding.