...
By Andrew Stanton
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The looming government shutdown centered around disagreements over ICE funding may do little to stop the Trump administration’s heightened immigration enforcement due to the new funding the agency received last year.
Why It Matters
Government funding may lapse at the end of January if Congress does not pass a legislative extension. ICE funding has become a sticking point for lawmakers amid concerns and criticisms about the agency’s tactics following the fatal shootings of two American citizens by federal officers in Minneapolis, which has become the center of the administration’s enforcement.
Read More on News
Democrats have voiced opposition to passing a House-passed bill that would include new funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) due to President Donald Trump’s hard-line approach. If a deal is not reached by the end of the month, the government may enter a partial shutdown.
What To Know
Although ICE funding is at the center of the battle, it’s not clear that a shutdown would have any actual impact on the agency. This is because Republicans in the House of Representatives and Senate gave it $75 billion last year in Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
That $75 billion, which can be spent over four years, is in addition to the regular committed funding the agency receives and would still allow the agency to maintain ramped-up immigration enforcement. In 2024, ICE received just under $10 billion in committed funds, NPR reported.
...
Trump swept back into office largely campaigning on carrying out mass deportations, and the supplemental $75 billion passed last year has helped his administration increase those efforts nationwide. The administration has said it aims to deport up to one million people per year.
Representative Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat who serves as ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, warned in January that the appropriations bill failing would shut down crucial government services while allowing ICE to continue without changes.
“The Homeland Security funding bill is more than just ICE. If we allow a lapse in funding, TSA agents will be forced to work without pay, FEMA assistance could be delayed, and the U.S. Coast Guard will be adversely affected,” she wrote.
She continued, “All while ICE continues functioning without any change in their operations due to $75 billion it received in the One Big Beautiful Bill. A continuing resolution will jettison the guardrails we have secured while ceding authority to President Trump, Stephen Miller, and Secretary Noem.”
DeLauro, like most House Democrats, ended up voting against the bill, citing ICE’s “flagrant disregard for the rule of law.”
In a statement to Newsweek, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek that senators would be “blocking vital DHS funding that keeps our country secure and its people safe—from TSA and FEMA to the US Coast Guard and Border Patrol.”
“This funding supports national security and critical national emergency operations, including FEMA responses to a historic snowstorm that is affecting 250 million Americans. Washington may stall, but the safety of the American people will not wait,” she said.
Democrats Call for ICE Reform to Pass Funding Bill
Democrats have said there must be reforms included in the bill to rein in ICE to earn their support on the funding bill.
The bill requires 60 votes to avoid the possibility of a Senate filibuster, and Republicans hold only a 53-47 majority, so it would need some Democratic support. Some Democrats who have been hesitant to support shutdowns in the past have already signaled they will not vote for the DHS bill.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a centrist New Hampshire Democrat who was central to striking a deal to end last year’s government shutdown, wrote in a statement she would not vote for additional DHS funding until reforms have been put into place.
“Reform is urgently needed at the Department of Homeland Security, and their dishonest response to the death of a U.S. citizen only underscores that. There is broad bipartisan consensus on 96% of government funding. The Senate should separate the five appropriations bills from DHS funding and pass them immediately to avoid a shutdown,” she wrote.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, said conditions would require an end to “roving patrols” and require agents to have specific warrants for arrests, requiring officers to wear identification and body cameras, independent investigations into recent agent shootings, an end to “mission creep” and keeping DHS out of schools and churches.
“It makes no sense to provide DHS with additional funding unless we get these reforms,” Murphy said.
The funding bill passed the House earlier in January after gaining support from seven Democrats.
Alex Pretti Shooting Draws More ICE Scrutiny
The shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend has increased scrutiny toward the actions of ICE.
Pretti was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Saturday amid protests over the Trump administration's operations in the city.
Some Trump administration officials, like Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, have faced swift criticism for their rhetoric about Pretti. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says Pretti "approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun." However, videos verified by various news outlets appear to show Pretti was holding a phone in his right hand, with nothing in his left hand, before he was shot.
Pretti was legally carrying a handgun at the time of his death. Records reflect no serious criminal history, according to authorities and public documents cited by local media.
The shooting came just weeks after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, also in Minneapolis.
What People Are Saying
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrote to X: “If Senate Republicans refuse to strip out the DHS bill to put real constraints on ICE — and hold hostage the vast majority of government funding — then Republicans are complicit in the chaos and own the potential government shutdown. It’s time to stop ICE’s violence.”
**Representative Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, wrote to X: "**The Senate is set to vote on DHS funding next week and Republicans can’t pass it without Democratic support. This is the time for Senate Dems to hold the line and withhold funding from this lawless agency. Enough is enough. Shut DHS down."
Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, wrote to X: “Senate Democrats have admitted that shutting down the government won’t affect ICE operations, yet they are threatening to do it anyway. Senate Republicans stand ready to fully fund the government.”
What Happens Next
Congress has until the end of January to reach a deal to avoid a shutdown.
Betting odds makers currently lean toward the likelihood of a shutdown. Kalshi shows a 72.5 percent chance of the government shutting down as of Wednesday morning.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines