Senate Democrats are standing firm on their demands for strict reforms to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and are ready to reject Senate Republicans’ efforts to prevent a partial government shutdown.
This pushback comes as Senate Republicans and the White House have put forward alternative proposals to the reforms the Democrats are advocating for, particularly concerning DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Unfortunately, both sides still seem significantly apart on how to fund the agency, and time is quickly running out.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who leads the Senate Democrats on the Homeland Security Appropriations Committee, has expressed he won’t support short-term funding extensions for the Defense Department unless Republicans make considerable compromises on immigration enforcement.
Murphy has also criticized the White House’s plan as merely addressing “secondary issues.” Reflecting on the timeline, he remarked, “We had plenty of time. They wasted two weeks and haven’t provided meaningful responses yet.”
A sentiment echoed among several Senate Democrats, who are collaborating to establish a list of ten essential reforms for DHS. Among these are proposals requiring ICE officers to secure a judicial warrant, display their identification, and remove their masks—elements Republicans consider non-negotiable.
The standoff intensified after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) criticized President Trump’s counterproposal, labeling it as “incomplete and inadequate” regarding public concerns over ICE’s actions. Jeffries noted he opposes another temporary funding extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR).
Schumer has emphasized that there’s no reason a deal can’t be finalized by the upcoming Thursday deadline, as the threat of a government shutdown looms closer.
Facing an approaching funding deadline and rising shutdown risks, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., laid out a backup plan. He conveyed that since a substantial funding agreement was reached earlier, there’s concern that Congress may not have adequate time to revamp the DHS funding bill within the two-week window.
“I understand that on the other side of the Capitol, Democrats are already against it, but they haven’t voted on anything yet, so this isn’t a big surprise,” Thune remarked. He added, “We hope talks will lead to a solution, but we probably won’t know anything before the current CR expires.”
Amid ongoing funding disputes, both parties accuse each other of not engaging in genuine negotiations. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, expressed her disapproval of tying DHS funding to a CR until there’s a serious commitment to address the issues.
On the Republican side, it was noted that while Democrats spent over a week formulating their proposal, the White House developed a counterproposal in less than two days. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) pointed out that while they didn’t expect acceptance of their proposal, they also weren’t inclined to agree to the Democrats’ version. “We hope this is a practical starting point for negotiations,” he said, underlining the necessity of ensuring ICE and border agents can effectively perform their duties. He added that unless Democrats change their stance, another CR is likely necessary to avoid shutting down DHS.
