Democrats refusing to pass a Department of Homeland Security spending bill without changes to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations want to split up the bill to fund other essential agencies while negotiations continue.
Republicans say that’s a nonstarter, since Democrats are the ones holding the bill hostage and pushed for the rapidly approaching deadline of Feb. 13, when stopgap DHS spending expires.
The DHS bill provides annual funding for a variety of agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard, Secret Service, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
“In order to avoid any disruption to public services or missed paychecks for federal workers,” Congress should fund those agencies separately from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top House Democratic appropriator.
Democrats have a 10-point list of demands they say need to be met before they support funding for ICE and CBP.
The list includes banning the use of masks to hide officers’ identities, ending “indiscriminate” arrests, and barring all arrests near “sensitive” locations such as clinics, churches, courts, day cares and schools.
“If Republicans are unwilling to reform ICE and CBP, then they will be responsible for any disruptions and deferred paychecks,” Ms. DeLauro said Thursday.
Republicans, who have panned Democrats’ proposed changes as “unrealistic,” are not interested in funding everything but ICE and CBP.
“So, in other words, defund law enforcement?” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican, said when asked about the idea. “That’s kind of what a big part of DHS is. So I don’t know how you do that.”
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, said his caucus has separately discussed ways to fund important agencies like TSA if a deal is not reached by the Feb. 13 deadline.
Republicans have no incentive to agree to piecemeal bills, as they see the risk of shutting down TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and other agencies as the only thing that may convince Democrats to pass the DHS funding bill.
“If they want to tell people they can’t fly, like good luck,” Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri Republican, said. “I think that’s a terrible, terrible idea. But that’ll be their choice.”
Mr. Hawley noted that Democrats cannot shut down ICE and CPB because those agencies already have access to tens of billions in funding Republicans provided through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so opposing the DHS bill would just be a vote to shut down TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service.
Mr. Thune said if a deal on a new fiscal 2026 appropriations bill is not feasible, Republicans would consider a full-year stopgap continuing current funding levels and policies.
“At some point, the Democrats are going to have to accept something,” he said.
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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