Democrats have been pressing for discussions on immigration enforcement for several weeks, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hasn’t agreed to engage with Republicans, multiple GOP senators reported on Thursday.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told the press that various political figures have reached out to Schumer for negotiations, but he seems uninterested in making a deal. There’s a looming deadline of February 13 to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or a shutdown could follow.
“Senator [Katie] Britt from Alabama has attempted to reach out to Sen. Schumer and others many times. But so far, it’s been pretty quiet. The White House has also tried,” Thune observed on Thursday.
Britt, regarded as a key negotiator in the Senate, mentioned that despite her multiple visits to Schumer’s office, these efforts haven’t resulted in any substantial discussions.
“It feels a bit like political theater when there are press conferences and tweets without any real dialogue,” she noted. “I really hope that changes soon.”
A representative for Schumer didn’t respond immediately to requests for comments.
Schumer’s hesitance to initiate negotiations follows a push from Democrats for temporary funding for DHS, hoping to open talks with Republicans regarding immigration enforcement adjustments. Republicans, however, have expressed opposition to a short funding extension and are advocating for more long-term support for DHS.
The bill for DHS funding would require 60 votes to surpass the Senate filibuster, necessitating some Democratic support to pass it with Republican backing.
Britt criticized Schumer for seeming to negotiate through the media rather than establishing a genuine dialogue with Republicans. Democratic leaders recently posted an extensive list of policy demands on social media, following a previous outline of proposals that lacked concrete text.
Britt questioned, “If it takes a week just to present a list of demands, how long will it take to identify past agreements and actually put something on paper that can move forward?”
Republican leaders reacted swiftly to Democratic claims for immigration reform, with Thune labeling the demands as “totally disingenuous.”
“Federal immigration officials cannot keep causing these issues. Our cities are struggling, and tax dollars are misallocated,” Schumer and House Minority Leader Jeffries stated in a letter to Republican leaders.
The extensive list includes items like tougher warrant requirements and restrictions on employee face coverings, among others—proposals that seem unlikely to kick-start negotiations with Republicans.
Thune remarked that the demands have escalated from three to ten, indicating a lack of seriousness on their part. He and Senate Majority Leader John Barrasso emphasized that the “fine print” actually consisted of 23 proposals aimed at protecting undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes.
Thune also suggested on the Senate floor that Democrats would bear responsibility for a potential DHS shutdown, given their unwillingness to begin talks.
Britt highlighted the importance of engaging Schumer, noting that a prolonged DHS shutdown could negatively affect non-immigrant-related agencies under its control, like FEMA and the Coast Guard.
While agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will likely continue operating during a shutdown, thanks to previous funding by the Republican ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act,’ the urgency remains.
Britt stated, “We need to have some tough conversations about our current situation and where we want to go because the stakes are high for the people we serve.”
Some Democrats are not optimistic about reaching an agreement before the impending DHS shutdown deadline. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania expressed that a deal seems unlikely due to insufficient “Democratic appetite” for supporting ICE funding.
