Marilla Apprehensions: The Operation He Cites Happened Under the Funding Democrats Voted For
Rep. Langworthy shared a story about Border Patrol apprehending 15 people in Marilla and wrote that “Democrats yet again voted to defund” immigration enforcement. The Marilla operation took place June 8 — under DHS funding already signed into law on April 30. The vote he references came the next day, June 9, on S. 2, a $70 billion supplemental for ICE and Border Patrol. Democrats voted against the new money while demanding enforcement-tactics reforms; voting against an increase is not voting to remove existing funding. The operation he cites as proof is itself evidence that Border Patrol was funded and operating.
Why This Matters for NY-23
Marilla is in Erie County, inside the district. When a documented local enforcement operation is used to support a claim about who funds law enforcement, constituents deserve the actual sequence: what was funded, when, and by which votes.
Statement
Source: Facebook Post, June 10, 2026 (sharing WKBW: “Border Patrol apprehends 15 people after search in Marilla woods”)
“This is exactly why we need to keep immigration enforcement funded. While Democrats yet again voted to defund them, we are ensuring our law enforcement has the resources they need to keep our communities safe and our border secure.”
The Marilla Operation — What WKBW Reported
Per the WKBW story (June 9) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection:
- Buffalo Sector agents responded June 8 to a report of suspicious activity near Marilla and observed 15 individuals fleeing into a wooded area.
- With assistance from a CBP Air and Marine Operations helicopter, agents located all 15; CBP determined all were unlawfully present, and they were placed into removal proceedings.
- The Erie County Sheriff’s Office responded to a resident’s 911 call but stated it was not part of a joint operation with Border Patrol and took no one into custody.
- Authorities released no information about the individuals’ countries of origin or how they arrived in Marilla.
None of this is in dispute. The question is what it shows about funding.
The Timeline the Post Skips
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jan. 22, 2026 | House passes H.R. 7147 (DHS and further continuing appropriations) 220–207 (Roll Call 42). Langworthy: Yea. Democrats 7–206 against at this stage |
| Feb.–Mar. 2026 | Repeated Senate cloture votes on the DHS funding measure fail as Democrats demand enforcement-tactics reforms; a February shutdown occurs (see related fact-check) |
| Mar. 27, 2026 | Senate passes H.R. 7147, as amended, by voice vote |
| Apr. 30, 2026 | H.R. 7147 becomes Public Law 119-86 — DHS, including Border Patrol, is funded. Final House action taken without a recorded vote (no roll call exists for it in Clerk records) |
| June 8, 2026 | Marilla operation: Buffalo Sector agents and a CBP helicopter locate and apprehend 15 people — operating under P.L. 119-86 funding |
| June 9, 2026 | House passes S. 2, the Secure America Act ($70 billion supplemental for ICE/CBP), 214–212 (Roll Call 214): Republicans 214–0, Democrats 0–211, Independent 0–1. Langworthy: Aye |
| June 10, 2026 | President signs S. 2. Langworthy posts the Marilla story with the “voted to defund” claim |
In plain language: The Border Patrol agents and helicopter in Marilla were paid for by appropriations enacted six weeks earlier — a law that cleared the Senate by voice vote. The vote Democrats cast the next day was against an additional $70 billion, not against the funding that ran the Marilla operation.
What “Voted to Defund” Refers To — and What Democrats Actually Did
The June 9 vote was on S. 2, a reconciliation bill providing roughly $70 billion in new supplemental funding for ICE and Border Patrol. Every House Democrat voted no.
But “defund” means removing existing funding. What Democrats opposed was new supplemental funding without conditions. After two deadly shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis in January, “Democrats pledged to object to any funding for DHS without reforms to its immigration enforcement agencies” (CBS News). The demands, per PBS NewsHour: Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats wanted “arrest warrants and an end to racial profiling”; the list also included a body-camera mandate (an area of partial bipartisan agreement — DHS Secretary Noem ordered body cameras for DHS officers in Minneapolis, and the bill itself included $20 million for them), removing agents’ masks, ending roving patrols, and limits on operations at sensitive locations such as houses of worship, schools, and hospitals. Republicans used reconciliation specifically to pass the new money without those conditions and without Democratic votes.
There is a documented kernel: Democrats did vote against DHS appropriations at earlier stages (7–206 on initial House passage in January; repeated Senate cloture blocks in February–March that contributed to a shutdown). The February entry on this site documents that fight. But by April 30 the funding was law — and the operation in this post happened under it.
Questions This Raises
- The Marilla operation occurred June 8, before the Secure America Act passed the House (June 9) or was signed (June 10). What funding does the post suggest the operation lacked?
- If “voted to defund” refers to the June 9 vote against S. 2’s supplemental $70 billion, does Rep. Langworthy consider any vote against a funding increase to be a vote to “defund”? By that standard, how would he characterize his own December 2024 vote against the continuing resolution he called a “bloated spending bill”?
- Democrats conditioned support for new enforcement funding on judicial warrants, mask restrictions, and body cameras. Does Rep. Langworthy support or oppose those specific conditions? His post does not mention them.
Related Fact-Checks
- Shutdown Statement: Multiple Misleading Claims About Democrats, ICE, and His Own Record — the February version of the same “Democrats defund” framing, including his own December 2024 vote against a continuing resolution
- Minnesota Fraud: Who “Pulled Back the Curtain” — the same week’s Oversight Committee claims
Sources
Votes and laws (primary):
- Roll Call 214 — S. 2, Secure America Act, On Passage (June 9, 2026) — 214–212; R 214–0, D 0–211, I 0–1; Langworthy Aye
- Roll Call 42 — H.R. 7147, On Passage (Jan. 22, 2026) — 220–207; D 7–206; Langworthy Yea
- H.R. 7147 — Congress.gov — Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026; Senate passage by voice vote Mar. 27; Public Law 119-86, Apr. 30, 2026
- S. 2 — Congress.gov — Secure America Act
The Marilla operation:
- WKBW: Border Patrol apprehends 15 people after search in Marilla woods (June 9, 2026)
Context and coverage:
- PBS NewsHour: Democrats demand ‘dramatic changes’ for ICE on masks, cameras and judicial warrants — Schumer quote; body-camera funding in the bill
- CBS News: Senate adopts budget resolution as GOP moves to fund ICE without Democrats — “Democrats pledged to object to any funding for DHS without reforms”; $70B over three fiscal years
- NBC News: Republicans pass bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the end of Trump’s term
- NPR: ICE is now funded through end of Trump’s term
- White House: Secure America Act release
Archived copies (Wayback Machine, captured June 10, 2026):
- Roll Call 42 — Clerk XML
- H.R. 7147 — Congress.gov (June 9 capture)
- S. 2 — Congress.gov
- WKBW — Marilla apprehensions
- CBS News — GOP moves to fund ICE without Democrats
- NBC News — Republicans pass ICE/Border Patrol funding
- NPR — ICE funded through end of term
Wayback submissions for Roll Call 214, the PBS NewsHour piece, and the White House release were accepted June 10 and are pending indexing.
Note: This entry documents publicly available voting records, enacted law, and contemporaneous local reporting. It makes no claim about the Marilla operation itself, which is reported solely per CBP and WKBW.
Last updated: June 10, 2026