By Emmanuel Bobby
Senate Democrats convened on a conference call Sunday to map out their strategy as they prepare to block a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill unless it includes new conditions and reforms governing immigration enforcement operations. The discussion comes as Congress enters a make-or-break week, with a Friday deadline to fund the federal government and avert a partial shutdown.
Without action, government funding will lapse at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, potentially forcing large portions of the federal government to shut down. The current funding package lacks the 60 votes needed to advance in the Senate, making Democratic support essential.
According to two people familiar with the call, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told Democratic senators that their unified message must be to “restrain, reform and restrict ICE.” Schumer emphasized that Democrats are unwilling to support DHS funding without significant changes to immigration enforcement practices.
One source said Schumer made clear that the critical vote is not expected until Thursday and stressed the importance of caucus unity in opposing the DHS portion of the funding package. He also noted that Democrats are prepared to move forward with the other five appropriations bills included in the broader package, which fund agencies unrelated to DHS.
“Basically, DHS is the problem and needs to be stripped out,” the source summarized Schumer as saying.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., urged colleagues to coalesce around a clear and concrete set of demands for DHS reforms, according to two sources familiar with his remarks. Democrats have increasingly argued that recent immigration enforcement actions require stronger oversight, accountability measures and limits on the use of force.
Republicans, meanwhile, have the option of narrowing the scope of a shutdown by separating the DHS funding bill from the other measures and passing the non-DHS bills on their own. Despite that possibility, a Senate Republican leadership aide said party leaders are still planning to move the funding package as a single bill.
“Government funding expires at the end of the week, and Republicans are determined to not have another government shutdown,” the aide said. “We will move forward as planned and hope Democrats can find a path forward to join us.”
Democratic leaders counter that outreach from Republicans and the White House has so far failed to produce viable compromises. A Senate Democratic leadership aide said that while conversations have begun, negotiators “have not yet raised any realistic solutions” that address Democratic concerns about DHS.
The situation is further complicated by logistics and timing. The House is on recess for the entire week, meaning any changes to the funding package that require another House vote could be difficult — if not impossible — to finalize before the deadline. Adding to the uncertainty, a winter snowstorm has delayed the Senate’s return to Washington, pushing the start of the legislative week from Monday to Tuesday.
In a statement released earlier Sunday, Schumer said Senate Democrats would not allow the DHS funding bill to advance in its current form.
“The appalling murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis must lead Republicans to join Democrats in overhauling ICE and CBP to protect the public,” Schumer said, tying the funding fight directly to recent deadly encounters involving federal immigration agents.
He added that Democrats are open to moving forward on the rest of the government funding bills while negotiations continue over DHS.
“Senate Republicans must work with Democrats to advance the other five funding bills while we work to rewrite the DHS bill,” Schumer said.
As the deadline approaches, both parties face mounting pressure to avoid a shutdown while navigating deep disagreements over immigration enforcement, public safety and the scope of federal power — setting up a high-stakes showdown in the days ahead.
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