Talks to fund the Department of Homeland Security and end a partial government shutdown have stalled in the Senate.
DHS has been shut down since February 14. Democrats have maintained that they won’t provide the necessary votes to fund the department until there are meaningful reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Right now, the Department of Homeland Security is out of control,” U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said on Wednesday evening. “They are not upholding the Constitution. They are not complying with the law. They are not respecting Americans' rights. They are tear-gassing schools. They are murdering American citizens. They are disappearing legal immigrants to this country.”
ICE is still funded during the shutdown, thanks to a contingency fund from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said negotiations with the White House on the funding bill have been nonexistent, and that Republicans haven't budged on key issues, such as banning agents from wearing masks and ending roving patrols.
“So far we've heard crickets from them,” Schumer said. “Nothing. They’re not negotiating. They’re just trying to pass paper back and forth with no real changes.”
During his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, President Donald Trump blamed the partial shutdown on Democrats.
“Tonight I’m demanding the full and immediate restoration of all funding for the border security, homeland security of the United States and also for helping people clean up their snow,” Trump said. “We have no money because of the Democrats and it would be nice — we’d love to give you a hand at cleaning it up, but you gave no money. Nobody’s getting paid. It’s a shame.”
Since a majority of DHS staffers are considered essential, they are required to report to work without pay.
