Last week, the City of Westminster posted a thank-you to Congressman Derek Tran for "securing" $1 million in federal funding for renovations to the city's Senior Center and community recreation facilities.

Tran's office did not correct the record.

Here's what the record actually shows: when the bill containing that money came up for a final vote on February 3, Derek Tran voted no.

His reason: the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 included funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Tran chose opposing ICE over casting a yes vote on the bill that would fund Westminster's senior citizens.

The bill passed 217 to 214 — without him. Westminster got the $1 million. And now Tran is letting the city thank him for it.

ICE funding was the dealbreaker

Tran has been public about his opposition to immigration enforcement funding. He voted against H.R. 7148 because it included money for ICE and CBP operations. That's a position he's entitled to hold.

But the trade-off is worth naming. A congressman representing Westminster and Little Saigon — one of the largest and most established Vietnamese American communities in the country, with a rapidly aging population — chose a vote against ICE over protecting $1 million for the senior center those residents depend on.

The Westminster Senior Center serves elderly Vietnamese Americans who rely on it for meals, fitness programs, social services, and community connection. The facility had been identified as inadequate for the community's growing senior population.

Tran knew what was at stake. He voted no anyway.

The final tally was 217-214. Three votes the other way and the entire bill fails — no senior center money, no renovation, nothing. Tran didn't think the risk was worth a yes vote.

The bill passed. The money came. He took the credit.

When H.R. 7148 passed without Tran's support, the $1 million for Westminster survived because 217 other members of Congress voted yes. Westminster announced the funding. The city's post credited Tran directly: "secured by Congressman Derek Tran."

His office said nothing to clarify what happened on the House floor.

The public record is not complicated. Roll Call 53, 119th Congress, 2nd Session. February 3, 2026. H.R. 7148, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. Passed 217-214. Derek Tran: Nay.

Westminster's seniors are getting a renovated center because the bill passed in spite of their congressman's vote — not because of it. The thank-you post is still up.