A long-running standoff among US lawmakers over immigration enforcement threatened to force the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) into a partial government shutdown starting Saturday as political tensions rise after two fatal shootings in Minneapolis, AFP reported.
Before the partial shutdown, the top Democrat in the Republican-controlled Senate, Chuck Schumer, said, “We’ve been pushing for common sense reforms for weeks.” According to reports, the partial shutdown is expected to take effect after midnight on Friday.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed the situation on the opposition. “Democrats are pushing our government into another shutdown for political and partisan reasons,” she told Fox News.
Democrats oppose any new funding for DHS until major changes are made to the way President Donald Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency works to crack down on migrants.
They are calling for restrictions on roaming patrols, for ICE agents to be prohibited from wearing face masks during enforcement actions, and for officers to obtain a warrant before entering private property, demands aimed at increasing transparency and legal protections during immigration operations.
Democrats’ opposition to ICE and its heavy-handed tactics was sparked after Renee Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot in January. Two US citizens were targeted and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis while protesting immigration operations.
Growing concerns about ICE
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed similar concerns Thursday, warning that ICE is “completely and completely out of control.”
“Taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for the American people, not to brutalize or kill them,” he said, adding that violence occurs “whenever these masked and untrained ICE agents show up.”
Even if all 53 Republican senators will vote to fund DHS, Senate rules require support from 60 of 100 members to pass a budget bill, meaning several opposition Democrats would have to get on board.
In response to the Democrats’ demands, the White House said it was ready to act, the agency said.
Will airports be affected?
If no deal is reached, thousands of state workers could be furloughed, while thousands more would have to continue working without pay until a budget deal is reached.
However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be able to maintain their operations using funds already approved by Congress last year.
The primary impact would be on other agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which oversees emergency responses to natural disasters.
The Transportation Security Administration, which runs airport security, issued a warning on X (formerly Twitter) that the extended shutdown could result in longer wait times and flight cancellations.