Topline
Senate Democrats released their demands Wednesday for reigning in federal immigration agents in exchange for keeping the government open—after threatening to let funding lapse in response to Alex Pretti’s shooting.
U.S. federal agents working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain immigrants and asylum seekers reporting for immigration court proceedings at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building’s U.S. Immigration Court in New York, New York, Thursday, July 24, 2025. (Photo by DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Democrats want immigration agents to end roving patrols, have tighter restrictions on arrest warrants, be barred from wearing masks and required to wear body cameras, and use the same use-of-force policies as local police.
Schumer said the Department of Homeland Security funding bill, key to avoiding a government shutdown this weekend, needs “serious work.”
Schumer announced Democrats’ list of demands after warning over the weekend they would not vote to continue funding the government past the Saturday deadline when the current funding bill expires unless DHS funding is renegotiated separately from the legislation to fund other agencies.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., left open the possibility of breaking off the DHS bill, telling reporters he will “reserve optionality to consider that,” but reiterating he prefers to “keep the package intact.”
Crucial Quote
“Under President Trump, Secretary Noem and Stephen Miller, ICE has been unleashed without guardrails,” Schumer said at a press conference. “They violate constitutional rights all the time and deliberately refuse to coordinate with state and local law enforcement.”
Key Background
The Senate still needs to pass six appropriations bills to keep the government fully open past Saturday, including the bill to fund DHS and others to fund the Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation and State departments, among others. Senate Democratic leadership said the caucus will reject the entire package unless DHS funding is split off and renegotiated separately. Pretti’s shooting—and the response from some Trump officials demonizing him and giving accounts of the incident that contradict video footage—has sparked bipartisan calls for federal immigration officials to reassess their tactics.
What To Watch For
Since the House passed the six appropriations bills as one package, the Senate could have to send it back to the House if DHS funding is removed. The House is in recess and doesn’t return until after the shutdown deadline passes. The conservative House Freedom Caucus has said it will not vote for the bill if DHS funding is removed.
Further Reading
Government Shutdown Could Hamstring IRS Amid Tax Season—But ICE Would Still Operate (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/01/28/democrats-demand-ice-agents-remove-masks-or-government-will-shut-down/
