Republicans Rebuff Democrats’ ICE Demands as DHS Shutdown Near/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is increasingly likely as Republicans reject Democratic demands to rein in immigration enforcement. Democrats insist on sweeping changes at ICE following fatal shootings involving federal officers in Minneapolis. With funding set to expire Feb. 14, negotiations remain far from resolution.
DHS Funding Fight Over ICE: Quick Looks
- DHS faces shutdown as funding deadline approaches
- Republicans reject Democratic ICE reform demands
- Democrats cite fatal Minneapolis shootings as catalyst
- Senate Majority Leader says deal is “not anywhere close”
- Proposals include warrants, ID requirements, and use-of-force limits
- Republicans warn demands would weaken law enforcement
- Lawmakers explore options to limit shutdown damage
- Immigration enforcement central to last unresolved funding bill
Deep Look: Republicans Rebuff Democrats’ ICE Demands as DHS Shutdown Near
WASHINGTON — The likelihood of a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security is growing as Republicans and Democrats remain locked in a bitter standoff over immigration enforcement policies, with Senate Republican leaders warning Thursday that time is running out to avert a lapse in funding next week.
John Thune said Democratic demands to impose new restrictions on federal immigration officers are “unrealistic” and cautioned that DHS will shut down on Feb. 14 unless Democrats agree to work with Republicans and the White House on a compromise.
Democrats, however, have drawn a firm line. They say they will not support any DHS spending bill unless there are sweeping changes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement agencies, following the fatal shootings of two protesters in Minneapolis last month by federal officers.
Those demands were formally outlined Wednesday night in a 10-point proposal released by Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York. The list seeks to curb what Democrats describe as President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign.
Among the proposals are requirements for judicial warrants before enforcement actions, clearer identification of DHS officers, stricter use-of-force standards, an end to racial profiling, and limits on surveillance of protesters. Democrats also want officers barred from wearing masks, required to show identification, and prohibited from entering private property without court approval.
Congress is attempting to renegotiate the DHS spending bill after Trump agreed last week to temporarily separate it from a broader government funding measure. That agreement extended DHS funding at current levels for two weeks while negotiations continued, following the Jan. 24 killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis.
Some Republicans initially signaled openness to limited reforms, but nearly a week later GOP leaders remain deeply skeptical of most Democratic proposals.
“This is not a blank check situation,” Thune said. “The only way to get reforms to ICE is to agree to a bill.” He added that lawmakers are “not anywhere close” to an agreement.
The DHS funding bill also covers major agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration. Thune warned that a shutdown could disrupt air travel and disaster response, drawing comparisons to last year’s prolonged government closure.
Schumer pushed back forcefully, saying he was “astounded” Republicans would dismiss the proposals as political. “This is about people’s basic rights and people’s safety,” he said, arguing that GOP leaders must explain why they oppose reforms meant to prevent further loss of life.
The expanded Democratic list includes new provisions not previously discussed, such as legal safeguards for detainees, tighter coordination with local authorities, and explicit prohibitions on tracking protesters using body-worn cameras.
Republicans have responded sharply. John Barrasso, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, labeled the proposals “radical and extreme,” while Katie Britt, a key negotiator, dismissed them as a “ridiculous Christmas list” and warned that the deadline is rapidly approaching.
Some Republicans have urged Democrats to negotiate directly with the White House, while others have floated adding conservative priorities to the bill, including voter citizenship verification requirements and penalties for cities that resist immigration enforcement.
Democrats counter that responsibility for avoiding a shutdown rests squarely with Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and the presidency. Chris Murphy said voters want what he called abusive enforcement practices to stop.
As the deadline nears, some lawmakers are exploring ways to limit the impact of a shutdown by funding parts of DHS separately, such as FEMA, the Coast Guard, and TSA. Republican Thom Tillis suggested an “a la carte” approach if broader talks fail.
But Thune rejected that idea, saying breaking apart the DHS bill would amount to defunding law enforcement. He noted that ICE already receives substantial funding through last year’s tax and spending legislation, even without new appropriations.
ICE is expected to receive about $10 billion under the annual funding bill, a small portion of the more than $175 billion requested for homeland security as part of Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
With positions hardening on both sides, lawmakers appear headed toward a high-stakes showdown that could once again shut down one of the government’s largest and most politically charged departments.
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