A fragile bipartisan spending agreement in Congress has collapsed after Senate Democrats moved to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following a series of fatal shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis. The dispute now raises the risk of a partial government shutdown if lawmakers fail to resolve the impasse before a Friday midnight deadline.
What Triggered the Dispute
The funding standoff follows three federal law enforcement shootings in Minneapolis this month. Two people — Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, and Renee Good, a mother of three — were killed during encounters with ICE agents. In a separate incident, federal agents shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg during an arrest. These incidents marked the third federal shooting in the city within a single month.
Democratic leaders say the circumstances surrounding the shootings, along with video footage that has been released, raise serious concerns about ICE conduct and accountability. Federal officials, however, have stated that agents involved acted lawfully.
Democrats Withdraw Support for DHS Funding
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Sunday that Senate Democrats will not provide the votes needed to advance the appropriations package if DHS funding remains included.
In a post on X, Schumer said the DHS bill “is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE” and pledged to vote no.
Washington Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee and a central figure in the funding negotiations, initially urged her caucus to support the DHS bill after securing limits on increases to ICE’s budget. However, following Pretti’s death, she reversed her position, writing on X, “Federal agents cannot murder people in broad daylight and face zero consequences. I will NOT support the DHS bill as it stands.”
Several other Democratic senators quickly followed suit. Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced they would oppose DHS funding. Nevada Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto also said they would vote no. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, who leads the subcommittee overseeing Homeland Security funding, said Congress cannot fund a department “that is murdering American citizens, that is traumatizing little boys and girls across the country in violation of the law.”
Independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats and helped broker an agreement to end last year’s shutdown, also stated his opposition, saying, “I hate shutdowns. But I can’t vote for a bill that includes ICE funding under these circumstances.”
Schumer urged Republicans to advance the other five spending bills and rewrite the DHS portion separately.
Republican Response: Investigations, Not Defunding
Republicans, while calling for investigations into the Minneapolis shootings, have rejected Democratic demands to strip DHS funding from the spending package.
Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana wrote on X that “the credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake” and called for a full joint federal and state investigation. North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis said any effort to block investigations would be “an incredible disservice to the nation.” Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts said his support for funding ICE “remains the same,” but emphasized the need for a “prioritized, transparent investigation.”
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham urged Democrats to reconsider, arguing that now is not the time to defund DHS or border enforcement operations. He blamed sanctuary city policies for broader immigration challenges and called for bipartisan cooperation to resolve the dispute.
How the Budget Impasse Could Lead to a Shutdown
Congress must pass the remaining six of twelve annual spending bills by midnight Friday to avoid a lapse in funding. Six bills have already been signed into law by President Donald Trump. The unresolved package includes funding for DHS, which would receive approximately $64.4 billion, including about $10 billion for ICE.
Because the House combined all six remaining bills into a single legislative package, removing DHS funding would require reopening and renegotiating the entire agreement. Procedurally, this is difficult, especially given scheduling challenges: the Senate is not scheduled to return until Tuesday due to a snowstorm, and the House is in recess until February 2.
Republicans need at least seven Democratic votes to reach the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. Without Democratic support, the package cannot advance.
Policy Changes Democrats Are Seeking
Democrats are pushing for several policy changes tied to DHS funding, including:
Requiring ICE agents to use warrants for arrests
Mandating enhanced training standards
Requiring agents to clearly identify themselves
Limiting Border Patrol involvement in interior immigration enforcement
These proposals aim to increase accountability and oversight following the recent shootings.
What Would Stay Open During a Partial Shutdown
Even if DHS funding lapses, much of the federal government would remain operational. Funding for the Departments of Justice, Commerce, and Interior, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, and the Army Corps of Engineers, has already been approved. The Department of Agriculture is also funded, meaning food assistance programs would continue.
However, agencies covered under the remaining six bills — including DHS — would face operational disruptions until funding is restored.
Outlook
With the deadline fast approaching, lawmakers face growing pressure to reach a compromise. While both parties agree on the need for investigations into the shootings, they remain sharply divided over whether DHS funding should proceed before reforms are implemented. The outcome of the standoff could determine whether the federal government enters another partial shutdown and shape future oversight of immigration enforcement agencies.
