Hakeem Jeffries warns DHS funding will lapse at midnight as shutdown becomes 'increasingly likely'

WASHINGTON, DC: Hakeem Jeffries said Friday that a partial government shutdown is “increasingly likely” to begin at midnight as talks over immigration enforcement reforms and funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remain stalled.

Standing at a nearly empty Capitol after lawmakers left town for a 10-day recess, Jeffries blamed Republicans and the White House for refusing to accept binding changes to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates, warning that the impasse could trigger a lapse in funding for several major federal agencies.

Hakeem Jeffries warns DHS funding will lapse at midnight

“It appears increasingly likely that at midnight tonight, DHS funding for the Coast Guard, for FEMA, and for TSA will lapse,” Jeffries said. “Why? Because Donald Trump and Republicans have decided that they have zero interest in getting ICE under control. The American people know ICE is out of control and that they need to be reined in, and Democrats are working hard to do just that.”

Funding for DHS expires at midnight. While many workers at agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the United States Coast Guard are expected to remain on duty as essential employees, they could miss paychecks if the shutdown drags on.

Jeffries also criticized House leadership for recessing lawmakers during the crisis.

“I’m here, ready, willing, and able to have a conversation with anyone, anytime, any place,” he said. “That’s always been the Democratic posture. Mike Johnson has once again sent House Republicans home.”

Democrats demand ironclad ICE reforms

Jeffries said Democrats are seeking strict limits on immigration enforcement operations, including better identification for federal officers, a new code of conduct, and expanded use of judicial warrants.

“And we’ve drawn a hard line in the sand on behalf of the American people, and we’re not going to allow the Congress to cross it,” he said. “ICE needs to be dramatically reformed. Period. Full stop.”

He rejected verbal assurances from administration officials, including comments from border czar Tom Homan about a wind-down of operations in Minneapolis.

“And we’ll respond to the latest that was sent over by the White House, again it falls short,” Jeffries said. “The notion that Tom Homan or any of these other folks can just say things and expect that all is good as a result of it, no. We’re not down with any of that. Every single change needs to be ironclad and part of the law.”

Democrats say their push for reforms follows heightened scrutiny of federal immigration operations after last month’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Jeffries accuses GOP of slush fund, broken promises

Jeffries argued that Republicans have already provided DHS with massive resources through prior legislation while delivering tax breaks to wealthy donors.

“The notion, and we want the American people to understand this, that your taxpayer dollars in the One Big Ugly Bill were used to provide massive tax breaks for Republican billionaire donors and to give DHS a $191 billion slush fund, which includes $75 billion to ICE, being used to brutalize you,” he said. “Republicans did that in their one big ugly bill.”

He also accused President Donald Trump of breaking promises about focusing deportations on violent criminals.

“They’re not targeting violent felons who are here illegally. The president made that promise, he lied to the American people,” Jeffries said. “So it’s my expectation that at some point Democrats in the House and the Senate jointly will respond to the latest unserious offer, formally, and then it will once again be in the hands of Donald Trump and Republicans to decide what’s next.”

Unlike last year’s 43-day government shutdown, the potential lapse would be narrowly confined to DHS agencies such as ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Still, Jeffries warned that prolonged disruptions could affect services like airport screening and delay pay for federal workers.

“And the reason why we’re confronting the possibility of a shutdown in a few hours is because Republicans are unwilling to enact change that is dramatic,” he said. “We believe any changes should be bold, should be meaningful, should be dramatic, should be transformational, should get ICE completely and totally under control.”