Senate Democrats block DHS funding amid immigration debate to avoid shutdown

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Senate Democrats voted on Thursday to block legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security as they continue to negotiate with Republicans on immigration enforcement and try to avoid another government shutdown.

The 45-55 test vote came as the country continues to reel from the shooting deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.

Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, has held firm and said Democrats won’t provide the needed votes until ICE is “reined in and overhauled.”

“The American people support law enforcement. They support border security. They do not support ICE terrorizing our streets and killing American citizens,” Schumer said.

The Senate will consider the Homeland Security bill with five other bills that would fund several departments, including Defense, State, Treasury and others.

In the deal under discussion, Homeland Security would still be funded, but for a short time to allow for negotiations on the Democrats’ demands. Other agencies included in the bill would be funded through the end of September.

If no agreement is made, it will be the third government shutdown under President Donald Trump. The longest shutdown was two months ago and closed the government for 43 days as Republicans refused to negotiate over expiring federal health care subsidies.

That shutdown ended when a small group of moderate Democrats broke away to strike a deal with Republicans, but Democrats are more unified this time after the fatal shootings of ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Jan. 24 and Renee Good on Jan. 7.

Border czar Tom Homan said during a news conference in Minneapolis on Thursday that federal immigration officials are working on a plan to begin drawing down the number of agents in Minnesota, but that it would depend on cooperation from state authorities.

Democrats also want an enforceable code of conduct so agents are held accountable when they violate rules. Schumer said agents should be required to have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in most law enforcement agencies.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he is opposed to the Democrats’ proposal to require the immigration enforcement officers to show their faces, even as he blamed Noem for decisions that he said are “tarnishing” the agency’s reputation.

“You know, there’s a lot of vicious people out there, and they’ll take a picture of your face, and the next thing you know, your children or your wife or your husband are being threatened at home,” Tillis said. “And that’s just the reality of the world that we’re in.”

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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.