Lawmakers have just days to avert a shutdown of the closely monitored government agency, but ICE will continue to operate.
Democrats used shutdown threat to spur negotiations over DHS funding
Lawmakers are at odds over government funding for DHS amid widespread discontent over the killing of Alex Preti by Border Patrol agents.
WASHINGTON – As the deadline to shut down the Department of Homeland Security approaches this weekend, Congress and the White House are in full swing in negotiations over possible reforms to the department.
Lawmakers have until the end of the day on Friday, February 13, to reach an agreement or the 9/11 Cabinet Office departments, including the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard, could be hit by another loss of funding.
Unlike during the record government shutdown in the fall, Trump administration officials have been in serious talks with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in recent weeks. The ongoing debate reflects bipartisan unease over the tactics of federal agents in President Trump’s surge in immigration enforcement nationwide, particularly since the killing of 37-year-old nurse Alex Preti by Border Patrol agents in Minnesota in January.
Last week, Democrats in the House and Senate released a list of 10 demands aimed at reining in DHS, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The demands included a ban on federal employees wearing masks, stricter standards for the use of force, and a ban on immigration enforcement activities in “sensitive locations” such as schools and churches.
Since then, Democrats have been trying to broker a deal with their Republican opponents and the White House, which has offered a counter-proposal, administration officials said.
The outline of the White House’s proposal was not immediately widely known among members of Congress. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told reporters on February 9 that he was aware of the counterproposal but had not seen the details. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said it was unclear what progress had been made among party negotiators in recent days.
“I hope people are working towards getting something done,” she said.
Even if Friday’s deadline passes, the impact will likely be limited. That’s because the rest of the government’s funding has already been funded through the remainder of the financial year. Even ICE, the division of DHS whose strategy is at the center of reform negotiations (it received $75 billion in funding over the next few years under President Trump’s signature bill, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act), will continue to operate.
Still, the clock is ticking. It’s unclear whether a deal can be reached before TSA employees’ salaries are threatened. There is also no guarantee that Republicans and Democrats will pass another short-term DHS funding extension to buy time for compromise.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said on Feb. 9 that she was unsure whether such a bill would be possible in the coming days.
Contributor: Joey Garrison
Zachary Schermele is a Congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and on Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social..
