Bold opening: Democrats push a counteroffer on ICE reforms as the DHS funding crisis drags on, threatening a wider government shutdown and escalating the fight over immigration enforcement.
Democrats have sent a fresh counterproposal on overhauling immigration enforcement to the White House and Republican leadership, marking another milestone in the stalled negotiations over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS funding lapsed on Saturday, placing ICE and CBP under a funding void. Democrats say they will oppose any appropriation that does not include meaningful reforms to ICE and CBP, a condition they tied to the two deadly shootings by federal agents during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis last month.
A short-term funding extension, designed to buy negotiators more time, expired late last week without a completed deal. While Democrats and the White House have exchanged proposals and draft legislation, a detailed agreement has remained elusive. A Schumer spokesperson confirmed that Democrats issued their latest offer on Monday evening, though specific terms were not immediately released.
Members of Congress are on a recess this week, with lawmakers ready to be recalled if a breakthrough occurs. Despite optimism on occasion, both camps have signaled that a quick resolution is unlikely.
In a Sunday appearance on CNN, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reiterated the core Democratic demands designed to rein in ICE and curb violence. The package includes: ending roving patrols; barring ICE agents from entering certain locations; establishing a formal use-of-force standard for immigration enforcement agents; and requiring agents to remove masks while ensuring they wear body cameras.
Schumer framed these provisions as common-sense reforms that enjoy broad public support, asking why Republicans resist them and labeling ICE as rogue and out of control.
Earlier in the month, Democrats laid out a longer list of demands. While there has been some potential common ground with Republicans on certain items, such as body-worn cameras, other points remain deeply divisive.
President Trump, traveling aboard Air Force One, indicated he would meet with Democrats this week to discuss DHS funding but suggested he disagreed with some of their proposals. He asserted his intent to defend law enforcement and ICE.
The proposal to remove masks from federal immigration agents has drawn strong Republican opposition, who argue that masks are a safety measure. White House border czar Tom Homan acknowledged the concern but defended masks as protection against rising threats to agents.
For now, DHS funding remains unsettled. ICE and CBP will continue to operate under current constraints thanks to funds carried over from a broad package enacted last year, but other DHS agencies—the Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, and FEMA—are affected by the shutdown, with many employees working without pay until a resolution is reached.
Uncertainty about how long the shutdown will last persists. If a deal isn’t reached, lawmakers are not scheduled to return until February 23, just before President Trump’s State of the Union address. When asked if he would deliver the speech without a funding resolution, Trump replied that he would, stating, “I think I would,” and added that it wouldn’t bother him.
Nikole Killion contributed to this report.
