Democrats threaten government shutdown over ICE funding
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A photograph of the pistol recovered by immigration agents after a shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota is shown on a screen behind U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Photo: Al Drago/Getty Images
The odds of a partial government shutdown are dramatically increasing after another U.S. citizen was killed by federal agents on Saturday in Minneapolis.
Why it matters: The Senate was planning on an up-or-down vote next week on a six-bill package to avoid a shutdown on Jan. 31. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Saturday that Democrats would block the funding bill if DHS funding is included.
- "Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans' refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE. I will vote no," he said in a statement.
Driving the news: Three of the eight Senate Democrats who voted to end the last shutdown are on record opposing this DHS funding bill.
- Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) said Saturday they'll oppose DHS funding, which includes funding for ICE. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) took that position earlier this week.
- Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) also declared themselves as "no" votes on Saturday.
Zoom in: A small group of Democratic senators, led by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), spent the last two days making calls to colleagues, whipping against the DHS funding bill, according to a source familiar with those conversations.
- ICE has money to continue its operations, shutdown or not, thanks to funding from the "One Big Beautiful Bill" that became law in 2025.
- Democrats are demanding ICE funding be attached to reforms to the agency, such as requiring warrants for arrests and banning agents from wearing masks.
Between the lines: Concern about a government shutdown has spread to the White House.
- "There's no way any Democrat can vote for Homeland Security funding as is," said one Trump adviser. "It's a problem."
The big picture: Several of the seven House Democrats who voted "yes" on a standalone DHS funding bill this week said they wanted to be sure other DHS operations had their funding.
- "Ultimately [voting no] will not defund these appalling operations that ICE is conducting around the country," Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) told Axios, "but in my district it would defund the Coast Guard ... it would defund FEMA."
- "When I think about Eastern North Carolina, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when we're going to experience another natural disaster," Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.) told Axios.
What's next: The Senate won't be back in Washington until at least Tuesday, as a snowstorm bears down on the East Coast.
Axios' Andrew Solender and Marc Caputo contributed reporting.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include Schumer's statement.
