DHS Shutdown Looms as Congress Deadlines Collide with Immigration Dispute
Congress faces a February 13 deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or that agency will shut down.
The rest of the federal government is now funded through the end of the fiscal year, September 30, with the partial government shutdown over. But DHS received a two-week funding extension to give Congress more time to work out a deal on immigration enforcement.
Democrats are demanding changes to immigration enforcement policy, following the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers in Minnesota. With time short, some see the need for another short-term extension to avoid a DHS shutdown.
“I think there’ll be a serious negotiation. My guess is there will probably be an extension. I don’t think it will be settled in 10 days,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK). “I’d love to be wrong about that.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) says a full-year deal in such a short time will be difficult if not “an impossibility.”
Even if funding runs out, the operations of ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies would continue as they received billions in funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
Other DHS agencies, including TSA and FEMA, would shut down with essential workers reporting for duty without pay.
Immigration Policy Differences
Democrats are demanding an end to roving ICE patrols, a code of conduct for all federal law enforcement officers, a prohibition on officers wearing masks during operations, and stricter use of judicial warrants used to make arrests.
There have been some signs of compromise, such as the use of body cameras, which Republicans have generally supported. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem says body cameras will go to all federal officers in Minneapolis, and that the cameras will expand nationwide when funding is available.
But there remains sharp disagreement over issues such as the masking of officers and a provision requiring law enforcement to wear visible IDs.
Nevertheless, Democrats in Congress view now as a time to force a change in policy.
“Federal immigration agents cannot continue to cause chaos in our cities while using taxpayer money that should be used to make life more affordable for working families,” wrote Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) in a letter to Republican Congressional leadership.
Officers Start to Leave Minneapolis
Meanwhile, Border Czar Tom Homan announced that 700 federal officers from ICE and CBP will be leaving Minnesota immediately. The federal footprint in the Twin Cities will drop from 3,000 to 2,300, but still far more than the 80 who were in the area before Operation Metro Surge began December 1.
Homan says further drawdowns are dependent on cooperation with state and local law enforcement and officials. He announced that the drawdown was secured after Minnesota officials agreed to cooperate by turning over arrested immigrants.