By MARY CLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Chief John Thune mentioned Thursday that calls for made by Democrats for brand spanking new restrictions on federal immigration officers are “unrealistic” and warned that the Division of Homeland Safety will shut down subsequent week if they don’t work with Republicans and the White Home.
Democrats say they won’t vote for a DHS spending invoice when funding runs out until there are modifications at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and different federal regulation enforcement companies within the wake of the deadly shootings of two protesters in Minneapolis final month.
The Democratic leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, launched an expanded record of 10 detailed proposals on Wednesday night time for restraining President Donald Trump’s aggressive marketing campaign of immigration enforcement. Among the many calls for are a requirement for judicial warrants, higher identification of DHS officers, new use of pressure requirements and a cease to racial profiling.
Thune, R-S.D., mentioned many of the calls for are “very unrealistic and unserious” and he referred to as on Democrats to barter.
“This isn’t a clean examine state of affairs the place Republicans simply do conform to an inventory of Democrat calls for,” he mentioned. “The one solution to get reforms to ICE is to conform to a invoice.”
Schumer, D-N.Y., mentioned he’s “astounded to listen to” Republicans say his social gathering’s proposals have been political or unworkable.
“It’s about folks’s primary rights, it’s about folks’s security,” Schumer mentioned. If Republicans don’t just like the concepts, he mentioned, “they should clarify why.”
As the 2 events traded blame, a DHS shutdown appeared more and more doubtless, beginning Feb. 14. As of now, Thune mentioned, “we aren’t wherever near having any kind of an settlement.”
Along with ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Safety, the homeland safety invoice contains funding for the Federal Emergency Administration Company and the Transportation Safety Administration. If DHS shuts down, Thune mentioned, “there’s an excellent likelihood we might see extra journey issues” just like the 43-day authorities closure final yr.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks throughout a TV information interview on the Capitol in Washington, early Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks throughout a TV information interview on the Capitol in Washington, early Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite)
Democratic calls for
Schumer and Jeffries, D-N.Y., have made a number of calls for, together with masks for officers, judicial warrants and higher federal coordination with native authorities. The record they launched Wednesday added a number of new objects, together with a stricter use of pressure coverage, authorized safeguards at detention facilities and a prohibition on monitoring protesters with body-worn cameras.
Democrats say Congress ought to finish indiscriminate arrests, “enhance warrant procedures and requirements,” make sure the regulation is obvious that officers can’t enter non-public property with no judicial warrant and require that earlier than an individual could be detained, it’s verified that the particular person is just not a U.S. citizen.
In addition they need an finish to racial profiling, saying DHS officers ought to be prohibited from stopping, questioning or looking folks “primarily based on a person’s presence at sure areas, their job, their spoken language and accent or their race and ethnicity.”
For officers conducting immigration enforcement, Democrats say that along with officers taking off their masks and displaying identification, DHS ought to regulate and standardize uniforms and gear to carry them in step with different regulation enforcement companies.
Republican pushback
Schumer referred to as it a “intestine examine second for Congress” because the immigration enforcement operations have rocked Minneapolis and different U.S. cities. However Republicans have been dismissive.
Wyoming’s John Barrasso, the No. 2 Republican senator, mentioned the calls for are “radical and excessive” and a “far-left want record.”
Sen. Katie Britt, who helps lead negotiations, mentioned it was “a ridiculous Christmas record of calls for.”
“That is NOT negotiating in good religion, and it’s NOT what the American folks need,” mentioned Britt, R-Ala. “They proceed to play politics to their radical base on the expense of the security of Individuals.”
Right down to the final funding invoice
Congress is attempting to renegotiate the DHS spending invoice after Trump final week agreed to a Democratic request that or not it’s separated from a bigger spending measure and prolonged at present ranges for 2 weeks whereas the 2 events negotiate. However with practically per week gone, a shutdown is changing into more and more doubtless.
Thune has inspired Democrats and the White Home to speak. It’s unclear whether or not they’re or whether or not Democrats can be prepared to again down on any of their calls for.
Some Republicans have calls for of their very own, together with including laws that might require proof of citizenship earlier than Individuals register to vote and restrictions on cities that they are saying don’t do sufficient to crack down on unlawful immigration.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., mentioned it’s as much as Republicans to make sure the federal government does shut down as a result of they’re in cost.
“The American folks need this abuse to cease,” Murphy mentioned.
Some look to restrict shutdown ache
Different lawmakers are trying to find choices to stop one other partial shutdown.
One thought being floated is to primarily fund a few of the different companies inside DHS -– the Coast Guard, airport operations underneath TSA and catastrophe help from FEMA.
“Why not take that off the desk?” mentioned Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, whose state is in want of FEMA funds from latest disasters.
“If it doesn’t appear like they’ll get it achieved,” he mentioned in regards to the immigration enforcement overhaul, “I actually suppose they need to have a look at a la carte funding of companies.”
That might imply primarily slicing ICE unfastened by permitting it to go with out its routine federal funding as a result of the company already has such a sturdy finances from Trump’s tax and spending reduce invoice from final yr.
ICE is anticipated to obtain about $10 billion within the annual appropriations invoice, a fraction of the $175 billion-plus for homeland safety for the administration’s mass deportation agenda.
