By Emmanuel Bobby
A sweeping government funding package is facing renewed resistance in the Senate after another person was shot and killed by a federal officer Saturday in Minnesota, heightening tensions over immigration enforcement and raising the risk of a government shutdown next Friday at midnight.
The legislation, which has already passed the House, requires at least 60 votes to clear the Senate. Republicans hold 53 seats, meaning GOP leaders must secure support from several Democrats. That task has grown more difficult as a number of Democrats — including some who have previously supported bipartisan funding measures — say they will vote against any package that includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security without new limits on how immigration officers conduct enforcement operations.
The Senate is expected to take up the bill next week.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sharply criticized the DHS portion of the package in a statement Saturday, linking his opposition directly to the shooting in Minnesota.
“What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling — and unacceptable in any American city,” Schumer said. “Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE. I will vote no.”
Schumer added that Senate Democrats will not provide the votes needed to advance the appropriations package if DHS funding remains included without changes.
Several moderate Democrats echoed that position. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., who previously broke with her party to avert a shutdown in November, said she would not support the DHS funding measure.
“The Trump administration and Kristi Noem are putting undertrained, combative federal agents on the streets with no accountability,” Cortez Masto said. “This is clearly not about keeping Americans safe — it’s brutalizing U.S. citizens and law-abiding immigrants.”
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., another Democrat who voted to reopen the government in November, also announced her opposition.
“As a member of the U.S. Senate, I have a responsibility to hold the Trump administration accountable when I see abuses of power — like we are seeing from ICE right now,” Rosen said. “I will be voting against any government funding package that includes funding for this agency until guardrails are in place to ensure accountability and transparency.”
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who voted for the November funding deal, had already raised concerns about the current package even before the Minnesota shooting. He said Congress should not validate a president who is “acting chaotically and unlawfully,” and called for significant amendments.
The killing of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who worked with veterans, intensified scrutiny of DHS and ICE. While several Republican senators defended the department following the incident, top Democrats demanded investigations and accountability.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee and a key negotiator of the funding package, said the incident appeared deeply troubling.
“This looks like an execution,” Murray wrote on social media. “There must be an investigation. There must be accountability. Joining ICE does not give you license to murder.”
The current legislation would fund ICE at existing levels but does not include the enforcement restrictions Democrats had sought. That omission has prompted further defections.
“I am voting against any funding for DHS until and unless more controls are put in place to hold ICE accountable,” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said. “These repeated incidents of violence are unlawful, needlessly escalatory and make us all less safe.”
Other parts of the funding package — which cover non-DHS agencies — have drawn far less controversy. Those provisions include money for child care, mental health services, housing assistance and Pell Grants, all priorities for Democrats. Some, including Cortez Masto, have proposed splitting DHS funding into a separate vote, but Republican leaders have shown no interest in that approach.
A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the package will be considered as a single bill.
Complicating matters further, Republicans earlier approved a one-time $170 billion infusion for immigration enforcement, including ICE. That money would remain legally available to the Trump administration even if DHS funding lapses during a shutdown.
To pass the measure, Republicans will likely need at least seven Democratic votes — or eight if Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., continues his pattern of opposing appropriations bills. Additional Democrats who have announced opposition to the DHS funding include Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona and Mark Warner of Virginia.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., reiterated his opposition Saturday, urging colleagues to take a stand.
“The Senate should not vote to keep funding this rampage,” Murphy wrote. “We are not powerless. We do not need to accept this.”
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