WASHINGTON, January 29, 2026: On Wednesday, the Democratic Party leadership unveiled the three demands they want to avert another federal shutdown. The Senate is expected to vote on funding legislation for the remaining six items funding government agencies. But the legislation, which must be approved this week, faces an uphill battle after the shooting death of two U.S. citizens by Immigration, Customs & Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks.
Senate Democrats are opposing one of the pending funding bills until changes to how ICE agents enforce immigration laws are made. The Democrats want the bill funding Homeland Security pulled from consideration until three key demands are met.
The three conditions that the Democratic Party has laid out are setting guidelines for the warrants used by ICE agents to detain people, creating a uniform code of conduct for ICE agents and requiring ICE agents conducting operations to clearly identify themselves, wear operating body cameras and prohibiting them from wearing face masks during operations.
Democratic party leader, Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that Democrats want to “enforce accountability” in ICE operations through a code of conduct, arguing that Democrats want the same standards for ICE agents that local police forces must adhere to.
Schumer added that “the American people support law enforcement, they support border security, they do not support ICE terrorizing our streets and killing American citizens.”
One of the conditions outlined by the Democrats is requiring ICE agents to use judicial warrants to detain people. Currently, ICE agents use administrative warrants that are not signed by a judge, but rather, an employee of DHS to arrest individuals. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said yesterday that the current use of administrative warrants has led to “show me your papers” immigration enforcement based “just upon their skin color or their accent,” says Murphy. He wants the “roving patrols” based on profiling people to end.
The Democrats have said they are prepared to pass five of the remaining appropriations bills before the Senate but demand that the Homeland Security funding be separated to allow Congress to add limits to ICE operations.
But making changes to the pending bill legislation would require the House, which is in recess, to vote on the changes before they can be sent to the White House for a signature. The Republicans are opposed to the demands made by Schumer but need seven Democrats to cross party lines for the bill to move forward. The last federal shutdown in November, the longest in the nation’s history, ended with the help from seven Senate Democrats.
The Senate is expected to vote on the pending bill later today.
Cover photo credit: U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Washington DC, February 4, 2025.
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