Senators consider deal to fund Homeland Security but not ICE enforcement as airport lines snarl
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators debate a proposal to end the pandemic Homeland Security budget in stalemate By funding much of the department, including the Transportation Security Administration airport workers It goes free but except ICE enforcement and removal actions This formed the basis of the dispute.
The potential breakthrough came after a group of Republican senators traveled to the White House late Monday. President Donald Trump. Senators said negotiators worked through the details overnight and expect both sides to submit written proposals to discuss at the weekly meeting luncheon on Tuesday.
“All I can say is that the talks have been extremely positive and productive and I hope they are heading in the right direction,” he said. Senate Majority Leader John ThuneR.S.D.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters late in the evening: “Both parties are working hard.”
The sudden change in the month-long stalemate is revealed as follows: US airports filled with long queues TSA was short-staffed during the spring travel season after routine Homeland Security funding was halted. Democrats are refusing to fund Homeland Security without any restrictions on Trump’s immigration enforcement and mass deportation operations following the deaths of two US citizens during ICE protests in Minneapolis.
Trump took the extraordinary step over the weekend of ordering Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to provide airport security, alarming some lawmakers that it could escalate tensions.
The broad outlines of that agreement would fund most of Homeland Security but would not include funding for the core part of ICE, the enforcement and removal operations that underpin Trump’s deportation agenda.
Under the released package, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations would be funded alongside Customs and Border Protection, but with new guardrails to position officers in those departments in their traditional roles, such as those recently used in immigration roundups in cities. It would also include a number of changes to immigration enforcement that Democrats have called for, including requiring officers to wear body cameras and identification badges.
Because ICE is already largely funded through Trump’s massive tax cut bill and immigration officers are still receiving paychecks during the partial government shutdown, the senators said the new restrictions would also apply to operations that rely on that funding source.
“I’ll be working through the night,” said chief negotiator Republican Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, who returned from a White House meeting hoping they had found a solution to “landing this plane.”
He said we will work diligently.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who is not part of the White House group, said he understands a “sense of urgency” from the talks.
Coons laid out several options before senators at this point: from no money for ICE but also no restrictions on agency operations, to fully funding ICE but with more restrictions demanded by Democrats, to a middle option of funding most of DHS except for ICE’s enforcement and removal operations. The middle option that he and other senators understood was generally on the table after the White House talks.
“The first step is to put the proposal in writing,” said Maine Independent Sen. Angus King. “I want to see exactly what this means.”
Senators also confirmed late Monday Markwayne Mullin as Homeland Security secretary. He takes over for him Kristi Noem, He is the one who led the department’s immigration enforcement operations, which imploded amid public outcry and a stalemate over funding.
Mullin potentially brings a new face to the immigration operation. At his confirmation hearing last week, Mullin touched on another key demand from Democrats: ensuring that a judge signs the warrants that immigration officials use to search people’s homes, rather than relying solely on administrative warrants issued by the department.
“This is important,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said of progress toward the changes. “Noem is gone. This is a big deal.”
Sen. John Hoeven, R-S.D., said he is hopeful senators can resolve the issues. “Look, there are a lot of different variables in the equations,” he said. “I hope we get there.”
