Lawmakers work to reach deal on immigration enforcement, avert DHS shutdown
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The February 13th deadline looms for Congress to reach an agreement on potential reforms for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection and fund the Department of Homeland Security.
Democratic lawmakers have mentioned demands for officers to not to wear masks or get judicial warrants in some cases.
Some republican lawmakers have made their demands on what to add to a DHS spending bill.
In the House, legislation related to requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. In the Senate, restrictions on sanctuary cities.
The DHS is a massive government entity. Though the main focus here is on reforms for ICE and CBP, a lot of other agencies would be impacted by a DHS shutdown.
The TSA, CBP, and FEMA are just some under the DHS umbrella.
Chad Kinsella, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Ball State University. He explains the scope of the Department of Homeland Security.
“There's a lot more in Homeland Security than just ICE, and there's a lot of other things we think about, like air travel, other immigration services. TSA is huge. And then also the Secret Service, the Coast Guard,” said Kinsella.
ICE received $75 billion in separate funding from the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that was already passed.
Kinsella says usually, shutdowns are all or nothing. He says there have been government shutdowns throughout history.
This USA Today list shows 17 shutdowns from the mid-70s through the mid-90s, with a more than 15-year gap after 1996. There have been several in the last decade.
He explained the uniqueness of one agency being held up.
“There has been a big move, like it's been kind of this brinkmanship, and government shutdowns have become more frequent in that time since. They have become more frequent as we've kind of got into this very polarized era, and well, in public and in Congress and everywhere. I don't recall any agency that has been held up. So this is, I think, in terms of my memory, which is spotty at times, but I think in my memory, like this is a unique moment where, again, they were able to get partial funding through,” said Kinsella.
Kinsella says the Senate will likely get the first try at some kind of deal being put forth after Senator Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic leader, said they were working on a plan.
After that, it would go to the House. That's where Kinsella says it can get precarious because there is a slim margin between the majority and minority.
“Anytime you have a funding deal, there's a lot that can be done with it. We have to really see what Democrats want, and I think that they're going to be the ones who make the initial offer, unless something has happened behind the scenes, that we may find out after the fact— where they made a deal with President Trump, to kind of maybe draw down, or kind of decrease the amount of conflict of where ICE agents are sent, and then kind of go from there,” said Kinsella.
ABC57’s Jordan Tolbert reached out to some of the representatives and senators representing Michiana about immigration enforcement negotiations. Below are their statements:
Senator Gary Peters (D), Michigan
“We need to take action to rein in DHS' immigration enforcement, including the mass operations carried out by ICE and CBP. These operations are undermining public safety, causing chaos and fear, and they’re violating Americans’ constitutional rights. The American people have seen this with their own eyes. We need commonsense reforms like body cameras, clear identification, and requiring a judicial warrant and standard due process as part of any arrest. I’m hopeful that my Republican colleagues do the right thing and help pass these absolutely critical reforms to DHS.”
Congressman Tim Walberg (R), Michigan’s 5th District:
“Immigration enforcement is a critical mission that must be done safely. Following the tragic deaths of two individuals, the President sent Tom Homan, who has a long and respected history of enforcing the law effectively, to Minneapolis. Since then, Homan has had productive conversations with Governor Walz to discuss how they can work together to support our law enforcement officers, prevent escalation, and protect communities. Today, Homan also announced increased cooperation between federal and local law enforcement, allowing for 700 federal officers to leave Minnesota, and the continuation of important enforcement operations with increased safety.
Over the next two weeks, President Trump, the House, and the Senate will continue to negotiate on a final funding deal for the Department of Homeland Security that I trust will enforce the rule of law, protect our communities, and put Americans first. While border security operations have already been funded due to the Working Families Tax Cuts, we must pass the remaining funding bill to ensure FEMA can continue operating after historic snowstorms, TSA officers can receive their pay, and the Coast Guard can carry out their essential mission.”