The U.S. Senate has until Friday night to pass a bill to fund parts of the government — or else it will shut down for the second time in four months.
The funding bill the Senate is voting on includes money for several departments, including transportation, labor, and defense.
The issue is overfunding for the Department of Homeland Security, which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) falls under.
After federal agents shot and killed two people in Minneapolis, Senate Democrats say they won’t vote for a bill that funds ICE without meaningful reform to the agency.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said his caucus is united over three policy goals:
“First, we want to end roving patrols,” Schumer said. “We need to tighten the rules governing the use of warrants and require ICE coordination with state and local law enforcement. Second, we want to enforce accountability; there needs to be a uniform code of conduct and accountability. Third, we want masks off, body cameras on.”
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) went a bit further. He wants an independent investigation into the shootings and for ICE to stay out of places like schools and churches.
“These are reforms that will change what is happening in our communities,” Murphy said. “They will save lives. They will make our cities and our towns safer, and we need to hold ground. We need to hold the line right now and demand these reforms.”
The Senate has until Friday at midnight to pass the funding bill to avoid another shutdown.
Schumer and President Donald Trump were reportedly in talks on Wednesday night over a deal to split the bills for a vote, but it’s not clear how close they were to closing.
