Democrats escalated their standoff over funding the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday, pressing for new restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement as lawmakers face a Feb. 13 deadline to prevent an agency shutdown.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, both D-N.Y., said Democrats want mandatory body cameras, tighter warrant requirements, and limits on agents masking their identities before backing full-year DHS funding, arguing that immigration enforcement tactics have grown more aggressive.
The funding squeeze was created by the massive spending package President Donald Trump signed Tuesday that funds most of the government through September while extending DHS funding only through Feb. 13.
DHS was funded only through Feb. 13 because lawmakers carved the agency out of the broader spending deal to buy a short negotiating window on immigration enforcement policy after Democrats balked at approving a full-year DHS bill without new oversight and guardrails on federal immigration operations.
The compromise allowed Congress to reopen most of the government through the end of the fiscal year, using a two-week stopgap for DHS, effectively forcing a separate, near-term vote on DHS funding and any accompanying enforcement conditions.
Democrats tied their push to backlash over federal immigration operations, including the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis that were cited in various accounts of the disputes.
Schumer said, "When Americans see the pictures of these goons beating people, pushing people, and even shooting and killing people, they say this is not America."
Beyond body cameras and warrant changes, Jeffries said Democrats want requirements for independent investigations when agents break the law, use-of-force protocols, and an end to certain enforcement actions at "sensitive locations" such as houses of worship, schools, and hospitals.
Schumer also cited goals, including visible identification for agents and an end to "roving patrols," and said Democrats planned to release legislation outlining their demands.
Republicans have signaled openness on some accountability measures but have resisted changes they say could hinder enforcement or endanger agents.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Republicans would not accept provisions that "lighten the enforcement requirement of federal immigration law" and warned that a DHS shutdown would affect agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Coast Guard.
In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has cast doubt on reaching a deal and moving it through both chambers before the deadline, underscoring the leverage Democrats hold in a Senate where most spending bills require 60 votes.
Separately, the administration said it would reduce the number of federal immigration enforcement officers stationed in Minnesota by about 700, roughly a quarter of the deployment described in recent reporting, as Washington tries to tamp down tensions while the funding impasse continues.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.