WASHINGTON — In the wake of two recent fatal shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota, Democratic senators have announced their refusal to support the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill. This refutation significantly increases the chances of a partial government shutdown by the end of the week if no resolution is reached.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed his condemnation on social media late Saturday following the shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse in Minnesota. Labeling the events as "appalling," Schumer stated Democrats would withhold votes necessary to advance any appropriations measure if the DHS funding bill remained included.
Out of the twelve annual budgetary bills for the fiscal year, six have been enacted and signed into law by President Donald Trump. The remaining six, including DHS funding, await Senate approval. Without Senate action by midnight Friday, funding for agencies under those pending bills would cease, causing at least a partial government shutdown.
Republican efforts to secure bipartisan support for the remaining bills have faced obstacles, exacerbated by the shooting death of Renee Good, a mother of three, at the hands of an ICE agent earlier in the month. The subsequent fatal shooting of Pretti further galvanized Democratic opposition against the DHS appropriations.
Schumer noted that Democrats initially sought reasonable reforms in the DHS spending bill; however, he criticized Republicans for failing to challenge President Trump and for allowing the bill to fall short of curbing ICE abuses, declaring his personal intention to vote against the measure.
Washington Senator Patty Murray, the committee’s top Democratic negotiator on appropriations, had previously advocated for the bill’s passage, pointing to Democrats' success in opposing significant budget expansions for ICE. Yet, following the weekend shooting, she publicly reversed her position, emphasizing that federal agents should not be able to commit acts of deadly violence without accountability.
Federal authorities have defended the use of lethal force in both shootings, deeming them justified, but Democrats have pointed to video evidence that, in their view, contradicts these claims. Some Republicans have called for comprehensive investigations. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) expressed concerns about ICE and DHS credibility and urged joint federal and state investigations. Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) stressed the need for impartial inquiries and cautioned against premature judgments, while Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) appealed to Democrats to reconsider opposing the funding bill and proposed addressing issues related to sanctuary city policies.
The intensifying Democratic opposition places Senate Republican leadership in a challenging position. Many critical government functions, including those under the Department of Defense, are currently funded through a short-term continuing resolution expiring Friday.
Following last fall’s lengthy 43-day government shutdown, largely sparked over health care subsidies, Senate Republicans had hoped to prevent another closure with broad support from Democrats. Prior to the weekend shooting, Democrats showed general willingness to approve most remaining appropriations bills, except for the DHS measure.
The House of Representatives forwarded a set of six funding bills to the Senate including DHS funding, complicating efforts to separate the issue as Democrats have requested. The Senate is scheduled to return from recess on Tuesday after a snowstorm, while the House remains out for the week and would need to reapprove any amended package.
Democrats advocate for substantive policy changes within the DHS spending bill, demanding that ICE agents obtain warrants for immigration detentions, improve training requirements, require agents to identify themselves clearly, and restrict Border Patrol agents to border-specific duties rather than internal immigration enforcement.
Senator Chris Murphy, the leading Democrat on the homeland security subcommittee, stated on CNN that Congress cannot continue to fund a department responsible for "murdering American citizens" and inflicting trauma on children, actions he deems illegal.
Several Democratic senators have openly announced their votes against the DHS funding, including those who previously contributed to ending the record government shutdown last year. Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen labeled ICE's actions as "un-American" and unacceptable. Her colleague Catherine Cortez Masto also opposes the DHS bill.
Minnesota's Democratic senators have joined the dissent. Senator Tina Smith suggested that refusing to fund ICE is an appropriate starting point, while Senator Amy Klobuchar called for thorough and transparent investigations and urged Republican senators to acknowledge the issue's gravity.
Despite these challenges, much of the federal government's operations would continue if a partial shutdown occurs since funding for several departments including Justice, Commerce, Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, and Army Corps of Engineers has been secured through September. The Department of Agriculture remains funded from previous legislation, so programs like food assistance are protected in the event of a shutdown.
Nevertheless, critical government functions under the DHS and other pending appropriations could face disruption if the funding is not authorized. The stalemate highlights the increasing tensions within the Senate and poses significant uncertainty about government operations moving forward.