John Thune rebukes ICE reforms from Democrats, signals limited space for negotiation

WASHINGTON, DC: Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Thursday, February 5, sharply criticized a list of Democratic proposals aimed at changing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices, calling much of the package unserious while leaving the door open to limited negotiations on select provisions.

“There’s a bunch of stuff in there that’s a non-starter and they know it,” Thune told reporters, arguing that the proposals were crafted more to appease progressive advocacy groups than to foster bipartisan compromise.

Thune singled out a Democratic demand that ICE agents be barred from wearing masks while conducting enforcement operations, saying such a requirement would endanger officers by exposing them to harassment and retaliation.

“All that does is set them up to get doxxed,” he said. 

John Thune says there is room to negotiate but not on everything

Despite his sharp tone, Thune said that the Democrats’ list was not entirely devoid of workable ideas.

“There are a few things that actually there’s probably some room to negotiate on,” he said, adding there was some “deal space” if Democrats were willing to engage seriously.

But Thune suggested that the overall approach from Democrats made compromise difficult. “It seems like they are posturing themselves in such a way that would make any sort of middle ground virtually impossible to find, at least right now,” he said. 

“There’s some room in there to negotiate,” he added. “I think there’s some things that could get done, but you have to have people at the table to do that. And as of right now, there’s only one side of the table that’s filled.”

John Thune points to dispute over negotiations

Thune said that Sen Katie Britt, who chaired the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, was serving as the Republican point person for talks.

According to Thune, Britt had repeatedly tried to initiate negotiations with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer or a designated Democratic negotiator. 

“She’s reached out multiple times now,” Thune said. “And it’s been crickets.”

Democrats disputed that characterization. Sen Chris Murphy, the top Democrat on the DHS appropriations subcommittee, said that he had not heard from Republicans and argued that it was the majority’s responsibility to initiate talks.

DHS shutdown looms as funding deadline nears

Thune also said that it was “pretty clearly” becoming necessary for Congress to pass another short-term government funding bill as the deadline approached.

He said that he expects to file such legislation as early as Monday.

If the Department of Homeland Security were to shut down, Thune said that he would cancel a planned Senate recess scheduled for the week after next, even as many lawmakers from both parties planned to attend the Munich Security Conference.

“If we get to the end of next week and we’re in shutdown posture,” Thune said, “the idea of people going on trips, no matter how justified or well-intended, seems like it ought to be a non-starter.”