Senate leaders edge toward partial govt shutdown over immigration enforcement and DHS funding
WASHINGTON, DC: Senate leaders struck a cautious tone on Tuesday, Jan 27, as Congress moved closer to a partial government shutdown, with just days left before federal funding expires after midnight on Friday.
The growing impasse centers on immigration enforcement and Democratic demands to overhaul funding for the Department of Homeland Security following a deadly shooting in Minneapolis over the weekend.
Lawmakers remain locked in a stalemate over a six-bill appropriations package sent over from the House that includes funding for Homeland Security. Democrats are now warning they are prepared to let funding lapse unless changes are made to the ICE-related provisions, dramatically raising the stakes as the clock runs down.
Democrats demand changes to Homeland Security funding
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, urged Republicans to break apart the funding package and immediately pass the five bills that enjoy bipartisan backing, while reopening negotiations on the Homeland Security portion.
“The Senate must not pass the DHS budget as currently written,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “It must be reworked to rein in and overhaul ICE to ensure the public’s safety.”
Democrats say the push gained urgency after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse and US citizen, during an immigration operation in Minneapolis. The killing marked the second fatal encounter involving immigration agents in the city this month and has sparked outrage among Democratic lawmakers and activists.
While Schumer has not released a formal list of demands, Democrats have floated measures requiring judicial warrants for arrests, clearer identification by agents, cooperation with local investigations, and tighter limits on enforcement tactics.
Republicans warn of shutdown fallout and House roadblocks
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, warned that reopening the bill could guarantee a shutdown.
“I think it’s always a risky proposition if you have to send it back to the House,” Thune told reporters. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen over there.”
Any changes made in the Senate would require approval by the House, which is currently in recess until next week. Speaker Mike Johnson would need to recall lawmakers to Washington to avert a funding lapse, a move complicated by resistance from the House Freedom Caucus, which has threatened to block procedural votes for alternative packages.
Republicans also accuse Democrats of walking away from months of bipartisan negotiations on a bill that passed the House before the Minneapolis shooting.
ICE funding fight intensifies political pressure
Despite the heated rhetoric, immigration enforcement would likely continue even during a shutdown. ICE received tens of billions of dollars last year under President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending law, giving the agency enough funding to sustain operations.
Still, a partial shutdown would ripple across the government, affecting the Pentagon and agencies overseeing transportation, housing, and health programs. Many federal workers would be forced to work without pay, while others would be furloughed.
The White House has urged Congress to pass the funding package as written, while Democrats argue that responsibility for fixing the standoff rests with the majority.
“The fix should come from Congress,” Schumer said. “The public can’t trust the Administration to do the right thing on its own.”
