Senate Democrats and White House strike deal to avert shutdown, continue ICE debate
WASHINGTON— Senate Democrats reached a deal with the White House late Thursday to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks to avoid a partial government shutdown and give federal immigration officials running President Trump’s deportation campaign more time to negotiate new restrictions.
The agreement follows widespread outrage over the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens — Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti — by federal agents in Minneapolis during the Trump administration’s aggressive crackdown on immigrants.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office confirmed in a statement to The Times that, under the agreement, funding for the Department of Homeland Security will be extended by two weeks, while the Pentagon, the State Department and the ministries of health, education, labor and transportation will be funded until September 30.
While the Senate could approve the deal as early as Thursday night, it’s unclear when the House will vote on the package. To avoid a government shutdown, both chambers must approve the deal by midnight EST on Friday.
After the deal was reached, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was “working hard with Congress to ensure we can fully fund the government without delay.”
“Republicans and Democrats in Congress came together to ensure the vast majority of the government is funded through September, as well as expansion of the Department of Homeland Security — including the crucial Coast Guard, which we have expanded and rebuilt like never before,” Trump said.
He added: “I hope both Republicans and Democrats will deliver the much-needed bipartisan ‘YES’ vote.”
The move to temporarily fund DHS is intended to give lawmakers more time to negotiate Democrats’ demands, which include requirements that federal immigration officers use body cameras, stop using masks during operations and tighten rules on arrests and searches without judicial warrant.
The breakthrough came after Senate Democrats and seven Senate Republicans blocked passage of a spending package that included additional funding for DHS through Sept. 30 but lacked enough guardrails to garner the 60 votes needed to pass the chamber.
“Republicans in Congress cannot allow this violent status quo to continue,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) said after the vote. “We stand ready to fund 96% of the federal government today, but the DHS bill still needs a lot of work.”
Speaking on the Senate floor, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) condemned Democrats for jeopardizing funding for other organizations in pursuing their demands.
“Shutting down FEMA in the middle of a major winter storm would be disastrous. It’s affecting half the country, and it looks like another storm is on the way,” he said. “A shutdown will mean no more paychecks for our troops, no money for TSA agents or air traffic controllers.”
The dispute came after federal ICE agents shot and killed Pretti, an American citizen and nurse, who tried to help a fallen woman during an ICE operation in Minneapolis. Pretti’s death was the first of a U.S. citizen shot and killed by federal agents in the city, less than two weeks after Good was killed earlier this month.
