(RNS) — There’s a crisis of accountability in Washington — one in which the administration pushes the boundaries of executive power while Congress increasingly declines to exercise its constitutional responsibilities. This comes as Congress prepares to advance another massive reconciliation bill in early June that would lock in billions more for immigration enforcement while bypassing the kind of bipartisan negotiation and public accountability our democracy is supposed to require.

The bulk of the $72 billion measure would go toward funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through 2029. Rather than using the appropriations process to negotiate reforms, safeguards or oversight, congressional leadership is once again turning to a partisan fast-track process that requires only majority-party votes.

Last year was one of the deadliest in ICE custody, and the U.S. is already on track to break that record in 2026. It begs the question why most members of Congress endorse a payday for unchecked immigration enforcement riddled with aggressive force, abuse, civil rights violations, denial of medical care, restrictions on spiritual care for detainees, and child imprisonment — all without passing one legislative accountability measure.

Bipartisan lawmakers have echoed the clear and immediate need for reform since the start of the year. House leadership for Department of Homeland Security funding recently admitted that we’ve all “learned something” from the administration’s use of the massive funding windfall in last year’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” and that Congress needs oversight provisions for immigration enforcement. Still, instead of demanding accountability before approving more funding, Congress is poised to deepen its investment in the very systems generating widespread alarm.

Although the bill is egregious, this moment is bigger than a single budget bill. It’s about accountability — one of the fundamentals of democracy — or a growing lack thereof. History has repeatedly shown that power without accountability inevitably erodes human dignity, weakens institutions and invites abuse. Courts have occasionally intervened to place limits on executive overreach, and some lawmakers have raised concerns about unchecked authority. Yet across issue after issue, from war powers to immigration enforcement to spending priorities, Congress has too often acquiesced rather than governed.

This is happening at a time when families across the country are struggling under rising costs of living and a fraying social safety net. Americans are paying dramatically more for housing, groceries, healthcare, childcare and gas. In some states, families are spending thousands more each year just to maintain the same standard of living. Yet instead of responding to these urgent realities, Congress has set its sights on expanding immigration enforcement and, potentially, a $1.5 trillion budget on illegal, ineffective and costly wars like the conflict in Iran.

These challenges do not exist in isolation. Last year’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” included nearly $1 trillion in cuts to federal healthcare programs like Medicaid and Medicare, alongside major reductions to nutrition assistance programs like SNAP — the effects of which are already deeply felt. In Arizona, SNAP participation has plummeted. In Nebraska, new Medicaid work requirements have created widespread fear of losing healthcare coverage. Refugees and many immigrant families have also been stripped of eligibility for basic supports that help keep families housed, fed and healthy.

At every turn, lawmakers are making choices about what — and whom — we value. And Congress is at it again, using this partisan budget process for the second time in two years to advance the rogue violence and fear plaguing citizens and noncitizens while sidestepping broader debate and compromise. Last year’s legislation allocated $170 billion to expand arrests, detention capacity and enforcement operations across the country. Communities are still grappling with the consequences.

In cities like Minneapolis and Los Angeles, aggressive and sometimes deadly ICE and Border Patrol actions have sparked widespread public concern and growing support for reform over indiscriminate enforcement. Since January 20, 2025, more than 145,000 U.S. citizen children have had at least one parent apprehended and placed in immigration detention, with more than 22,000 experiencing the detention of both of their co-resident parents. Not only are these actions punishing individuals who were following the law, they are also disrupting the U.S. labor force and communities. People of all statuses are avoiding attending worship and school and avoiding gaining medical attention at sensitive locations because of interferences and apprehensions in violations of civil liberties.

I can’t think of a less appropriate time to pour another $72 billion into ICE and CBP — especially without requiring meaningful reforms or accountability measures. Yes, this nation has laws to enforce and public interests to protect. However, respecting those needs does not mean disregarding the light in each of God’s children.

As Quakers, we reject the false choice between security and human dignity. True safety cannot be built through fear, cruelty or unchecked power. Lasting security comes from thriving communities, functioning institutions, economic opportunity and respect for human rights.

And we are not alone in these beliefs. This month, my organization, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, joined 150 other faith organizations in urging Congress to reject this legislation. Organized through the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, the letter represents millions of people of faith across the country who believe our immigration policies should reflect compassion, justice and accountability — not political expediency.

This message is rooted in the shared concept of welcoming the stranger and a moral conviction that governments have an obligation to care for human beings, especially the vulnerable. Scripture teaches us that love does no harm to a neighbor. If that principle means anything in public life, it must mean our government cannot continue funding harm while refusing accountability for its consequences.

The reconciliation bill now before Congress is therefore a defining test — one not only of policy, but of conscience — because budgets truly are moral documents. They reveal what we fear, what we protect, what we value and what kind of neighbors we choose to be to one another.

When lawmakers return in June, my hope is that they choose a path that reflects the best of our values: compassion over cruelty, accountability over unchecked power, and human dignity over political expediency. In this moment, love of neighbor requires more than rhetoric. It requires action.

(Bridget Moix is the general secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation and leads two other Quaker organizations, Friends Place on Capitol Hill and the FCNL Education Fund. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)