The Department of Homeland Security is approaching a funding lapse as Congress departs Washington without resolving a dispute over federal immigration enforcement, reports Baltimore Chronicle via CNN. Appropriations for the department are scheduled to expire at midnight Friday, raising the prospect of a shutdown centered on disagreements over US Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. The standoff would mark the third funding interruption during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Republican leaders dismissed lawmakers for recess on Thursday after negotiations between the parties failed to yield tangible progress. Democrats have tied their support for continued funding to changes in ICE practices, citing last month’s fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal agents in Minnesota. The incident intensified scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement and sharpened divisions on Capitol Hill.
Although discussions between the White House and Democratic leaders are continuing, neither the House nor the Senate is scheduled to reconvene for 11 days. GOP leadership retains the option of recalling members should a compromise be reached.
Democratic negotiators have outlined several conditions for averting a shutdown. They are pressing the Trump administration to end what they describe as “roving” ICE patrols, establish independent oversight mechanisms for the agency, prohibit the deportation of US citizens, and prevent agents from wearing masks during enforcement actions. A central demand is that immigration warrants be approved by a judge rather than signed internally by ICE officials. Republicans have rejected that proposal.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters following the chamber’s final vote Thursday that the coming days would reveal whether Democrats are prepared to engage in compromise. He said the White House had shown flexibility on several policy points but declined to detail specific provisions under discussion. “I think the White House has given more and more ground on some of these key issues,” Thune said.
A senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Democratic leaders appeared poised to abandon bipartisan talks and allow funding to lapse. “At this point it seems clear the Democrats are going to walk away from that bipartisan conversation. They’re going to shut the department down,” the official said, adding that the administration would not yield on an issue central to the president’s electoral mandate.
Democrats counter that the administration has underestimated public opposition to its deportation policies. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii said Republicans do not grasp “the depth of the anger” over what he described as aggressive enforcement tactics. He suggested that time away from Washington might expose GOP lawmakers to broader voter concerns about ICE operations.
Behind closed doors, senior Democratic figures and White House representatives have continued negotiations. However, Democratic lawmakers have characterized the administration’s engagement as insufficient, arguing that the latest offer does not substantially alter federal enforcement practices. Republicans maintain that the White House demonstrated seriousness by transmitting a comprehensive legislative proposal and by formally ending its ICE operation in Minnesota.
House Speaker Mike Johnson described the administration’s proposal as “eminently reasonable” and rejected claims that Republicans were driving the department toward closure. He accused some Democrats of favoring a shutdown to exert political pressure. Johnson reiterated opposition to requiring judicial warrants for ICE arrests, stating that such a mandate would effectively halt deportation efforts. “You can’t have an Immigration and Customs Enforcement program if you have to get a judicial warrant every time you go to arrest someone,” he said, calling the concept unworkable.
Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have identified judicial oversight as a non-negotiable element. Jeffries stated that any agreement must introduce “bold, meaningful, and transformational” reforms to immigration enforcement and indicated that the White House’s most recent proposal did not meet those criteria.
With both sides publicly holding firm and the funding deadline imminent, the Department of Homeland Security faces the possibility of a partial shutdown unless negotiations produce a breakthrough.
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