Democrats’ opposition to ICE and its heavy-handed tactics swelled after the January deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two US citizens shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis as they protested anti-immigration operations.
The lawmakers are seeking greater accountability for ICE agents, including upholding reasonable use-of-force standards already on the books.
“Democrats will not support a blank cheque for chaos,” Schumer said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed similar concerns on Thursday, warning that ICE was “completely and totally out of control”.
“Taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for the American people, not brutalise or kill them,” he said, stressing that violence was occurring “whenever these masked and untrained ICE agents show up on the scene”.
Even if all 53 Republican senators vote to fund DHS, Senate rules require support from 60 of the 100 members to advance the budget bill, meaning several opposition Democrats would need to get on board.
In response to the Democrats’ demands, the White House said it was ready to negotiate and sent a counter-proposal late on Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune called it “an extremely serious offer” and said Democrats are “never going to get their full wish-list”.
The opposition rejected the compromise outright.
“Half-measures will not cut it,” said Senate Democrat Patty Murray, adding that her party’s demands were reasonable and necessary.
If no deal is reached, thousands of civil servants could be furloughed, while thousands more will be required to work without pay – until a budget deal is finalised.
But ICE would be able to maintain operations during a partial shutdown because of funds already approved by Congress last year.
The primary impact would therefore land on other agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which oversees emergency response to natural disasters.
The Transportation Security Administration, which runs airport safety, warned on X that a prolonged shutdown could result in “significant” consequences including staff attrition, longer wait times, and delayed and cancelled flights.
The shutdown would be the third of Trump’s second term, including a record 43-day government closure last October and November.
-Agence France-Presse
