In exchange for a funding deal, Democrats had been pushing for more restrictions on US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which will not be significantly affected by the shutdown because of funding from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” last year.
Democrats have been demanding reforms after federal agents killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two Minneapolis residents who were protesting the Trump administration’s immigration raids in Minnesota, in January.
They have asked for a number of changes within the DHS including a ban on immigration agents wearing face masks, better identification for officers and stricter rules for obtaining warrants.
On Thursday, Senate Democrats blocked two funding bills because the measures did not include the immigration reforms. The most recent funding measure passed at the end of January only funded the DHS for two weeks while lawmakers from both sides of the aisle attempted to reach a deal on immigration reforms.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said “we’ll see what happens” when asked by reporters whether he anticipated cutting a deal with Democrats to fund the DHS.
“We always have to protect our law enforcement,” Trump added.
The shutdown is expected to affect several agencies under the DHS umbrella, including the US Coast Guard and TSA.