On Wednesday afternoon, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced he would reverse course and bring a Senate spending bill that would fund DHS through the end of September to a House vote, potentially ending a department shutdown that has left most personnel without paychecks. It’s part of a two-track deal, because it would leave ICE and CBP unfunded pending passage of a “reconciliation” bill that would pay for those agencies without Democrats’ support. The funding follies over immigration continue, however, because at this point, it’s not clear the House GOP will go along, or even what ransom the Democrats who are holding the department hostage are demanding.
The Shutdown
By Valentines Day, February 14, Congress had passed funding bills for every government department and agency through the end of FY 2026, with the sole exception of DHS.
Congressional Democrats used the shooting death of Alex Pretti during an immigration-enforcement action in Minneapolis in late January 24 as a pretext to demand restrictions on ICE and CBP operations, including requiring agents to obtain judicial warrants before entering private property; barring immigration arrests at hospitals, daycare centers, schools, and churches; prohibiting ICE officers from wearing masks; and requiring them to wear bodycams.
On March 17, Trump “Border Czar” Tom Homan sent a letter to Senate leadership agreeing to some of the Democrats’ demands, including the bodycams, limits on “civil immigration enforcement at certain sensitive locations”, and use of “visible officer identification for DHS law enforcement carrying out immigration enforcement activities”.
Other of the demands, Homan contended, “would make it impossible to fully protect American citizens from dangerous criminal aliens and expose law enforcement and their families to increasing threats of violence”, and would “prioritize illegal aliens above American families”.
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