Lawmakers in standoff over ICE reforms as DHS funding deadline approaches

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Washington — Republicans and Democrats successful Congress are locked successful a standoff implicit reforming the nation's migration enforcement cognition arsenic a deadline to scope a solution and money the Department of Homeland Security approaches.

Last week, Congress passed a bundle of backing measures to reopen the authorities and money the bulk of agencies done September aft a four-day partial shutdown. The stalemate came amid a quality implicit funds for DHS, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Lawmakers yet approved a stopgap measurement to support the section funded — but lone done Feb. 13.

The short-term backing spot was designed to springiness lawmakers much clip to negociate however to rein successful the administration's immigration's enforcement operation, which came nether scrutiny aft 2 deadly shootings by national agents successful Minneapolis past month. But truthful far, the 2 sides look acold from an agreement.

Senate Democrats person fixed draught authorities of the DHS backing measurement to Republicans, 2 sources told CBS News.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries released a database of demands past week to enforce "guardrails" connected DHS, including by restricting migration agents from wearing masks and requiring them to show an ID and usage assemblage cameras. They besides demanded agents beryllium banned from entering backstage spot without judicial warrants, on with requiring agents to verify that idiosyncratic is not a U.S. national earlier holding them successful migration detention, among different things. Republicans were speedy to criticize the demands arsenic "unrealistic and unserious."

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer clasp a quality league connected Jan. 8, 2026.

Asked Sunday connected CNN's "State of the Union" whether determination are negotiations going connected astir the projected reforms, Jeffries said Democrats haven't heard backmost from the White House oregon Republican leaders successful Congress astir the demands.

"In our view, the shot is successful the tribunal close present of the Republicans," Jeffries said. "Either they're going to hold to dramatically betterment the mode successful which ICE and different migration enforcement agencies are conducting themselves truthful that they're behaving similar each different instrumentality enforcement bureau successful the country, oregon they're making the explicit determination to unopen down the Coast Guard, unopen down FEMA and unopen down TSA, and that would beryllium precise unfortunate."

If lawmakers are incapable to travel to an statement connected however to money DHS oregon o.k. different short-term measurement to support the section funded, backing would lapse for the agencies it oversees connected Feb. 14, and shutdown procedures would beryllium expected to begin. But migration operations would continue, since ICE and CBP received an influx of funds successful past year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Still, Jeffries said "we request to property guardant aggressively and guarantee that determination are legislative changes enacted arsenic portion of immoderate DHS spending bill, due to the fact that that's the mode that you alteration behavior."

The New York Democrat argued that "these are communal consciousness changes," citing the request for assemblage cameras, judicial warrant requirements and a no-mask argumentation for agents, among different things.

Republicans person appeared unfastened to immoderate of the projected policies, including the mandatory assemblage cameras and bringing an extremity to roving patrols. But immoderate of the demands are reddish lines for the GOP.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican who appeared connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" connected Sunday, said "there are immoderate things that marque sense, there's a batch of things that don't."

"Just a fewer days ago, this was a bipartisan vote, and each of a sudden, present the Democrats are trying to clasp the state hostage," Gonzales added.

Gonzales said immoderate woody connected DHS backing volition not see "amnesty for amerciable aliens" oregon "stripping distant protections for instrumentality enforcement officers that are trying to support themselves." He said "if rioters get to deterioration masks, past instrumentality enforcement gets to deterioration masks arsenic well."

The Texas Republican besides expressed absorption to requiring judicial warrants, which is simply a cardinal constituent of contention betwixt Republicans and Democrats truthful far. Under the 4th Amendment of the Constitution, a hunt connected a U.S. national is prohibited unless determination is simply a warrant issued by a judge. The medication has relied connected administrative warrants, which are signed by migration officials, not judges.

"Administrative warrants work," Gonzales said. "I privation to springiness instrumentality enforcement each instrumentality they request to spell retired and apprehend these convicted criminals that are escaped successful our community. To me, that makes a batch of sense. Why you would privation to shackle your ain instrumentality enforcement from keeping our assemblage harmless makes nary consciousness to me."

Among the things that could spot enactment from Republicans, Gonzales cited the mandate for assemblage cameras, pointing to the caller determination by the medication to necessitate cameras beryllium worn successful Minneapolis. He said different country for betterment is communication.

"I deliberation it'd beryllium very, precise cardinal if determination were connection liaisons successful each the communities that ICE has," helium said. "Not changing policy, conscionable sharing connection from the assemblage — let's accidental the metropolis manager oregon let's accidental metropolis council, assemblage leaders — up to the medication and backmost down."