WASHINGTON— Senate Democrats say they will withhold the votes Republicans need to advance a must-pass government funding package unless lawmakers remove — or significantly revise — its Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spending provisions, sharply increasing the likelihood of a partial federal shutdown when current funding expires at midnight on Friday, Jan. 30.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats had sought “common sense reforms” in the DHS appropriations bill but accused Republicans of refusing to confront what he described as abuses by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “I will vote no,” Schumer wrote, adding that “Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.”
The confrontation intensified after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot Alex Pretti, 37, in Minneapolis on Saturday, the latest flashpoint in a series of federal agent-involved incidents in Minnesota this month that have fueled protests and demands for accountability in immigration enforcement operations.
Republicans hold 53 Senate seats, meaning the party will need at least eight Democrats to reach the 60-vote threshold required to advance the broader funding package. Several Democrats publicly signaled opposition to the DHS component, including Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and Sens. Brian Schatz and Mark Warner, according to multiple reports; Democrats scheduled a caucus call for Sunday night as leaders weigh next steps.
The House has already approved the year’s final spending measures, passing a stand-alone DHS bill 220–207 and a separate multi-agency package 341–88, sending the legislation to the Senate with days remaining before the deadline.
A central Democratic demand is stronger oversight of immigration enforcement, including body-worn cameras. The House-passed DHS measure includes $20 million designated for the “purchase and operation” of body cameras for ICE and Customs and Border Protection officers who interact with the public during enforcement operations, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee’s conference bill summary. But Democrats argue the funding falls short of a clear mandate and tougher operational guardrails, and note that DHS has previously proposed major reductions to ICE’s body camera program.
If Congress fails to act by Jan. 30, agencies funded under the expiring continuing resolution would begin shutting down, while lawmakers scramble for a revised package — potentially by separating DHS from the broader bill or negotiating new restrictions that could draw enough Democratic support to clear the Senate
