Senate Democrats and Republicans are narrowing in on a spending deal that could avert a partial government shutdown as they negotiate new restrictions for President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement.
As the country reels from the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, the two sides had tentatively agreed to separate Homeland Security funding from the rest of the legislation. DHS would be funded for two weeks while they debate Democratic demands for curbs on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The potential deal comes after Democrats voted to block legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday.
“We don’t want a shutdown,” President Donald Trump said as he began a Cabinet meeting Thursday morning.
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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told The Associated Press on Thursday that he had been “vehemently opposed” to breaking up the funding package, but “if it is broken up, we will have to move it as quickly as possible. We can’t have the government shut down.”
Rare bipartisan talks
President Donald Trump and his frequent adversary, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, engaged in rare talks after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minnesota over the weekend and calls by senators in both parties for a full investigation. Schumer called it “a moment of truth.”
“The American people support law enforcement. They support border security. They do not support ICE terrorizing our streets and killing American citizens,” Schumer said.
Democrats lay out demands
Democrats have laid out several demands, asking the White House to “end roving patrols” in cities and coordinate with local law enforcement on immigration arrests, including requiring tighter rules for warrants.
They also want an enforceable code of conduct so agents are held accountable when they violate rules. Schumer said agents should be required to have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in most law enforcement agencies.
The Democratic caucus is united in those “common sense reforms,” and the burden is on Republicans to accept them, Schumer said.
“Boil it all down, what we are talking about is that these lawless ICE agents should be following the same rules that your local police department does,” said Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota. “There has to be accountability.”
Earlier on Thursday, Tom Homan, the president’s border czar, stated during a press conference in Minneapolis that federal immigration officials are developing a plan to reduce the number of agents in Minnesota, but this would depend on cooperation from state authorities.
