The Division of Homeland Safety is all however sure to expire of funding on the finish of the day Friday as lawmakers left Capitol Hill Thursday with no deal in sight.
Senate Democrats voted unanimously to dam a DHS spending invoice that was negotiated earlier than the deadly capturing of Alex Pretti by federal brokers in Minneapolis, saying it didn’t handle their calls for for reform at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
An effort by Republican Sen. Katie Britt to increase funding for DHS for 2 weeks to permit time for additional negotiations additionally failed.
The Senate has no additional votes scheduled for this week and plenty of senators had been boarding planes to Germany for the Munich Safety Convention. Home members additionally left city.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters on the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 12, 2026.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Homeland Safety officers from the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company (CISA), the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Coast Guard beforehand warned lawmakers {that a} lapse in funding will go away 1000’s of personnel working with out pay, disrupt catastrophe reimbursements, delay cyber protections and put a pressure on businesses barely digging out of the earlier authorities shutdown.
ICE, nonetheless, will largely proceed working due to the $75 billion already accepted by Congress in President Donald Trump’s so-called “one massive stunning invoice” that was handed final summer season.
Senate Majority Chief John Thune informed reporters that talks would proceed over the weekend and into subsequent week’s Presidents Day week recess. However he slammed Democrats for blocking each efforts to maintain DHS funded.
“What it seems to me, a minimum of at this level, is occurring is the Democrats, like they did final fall, they actually don’t need the answer. They do not need the reply. They need the political challenge,” Thune stated. “Negotiations will proceed and we are going to see in the middle of the following few days how critical they’re.”
The Division of Homeland Safety seal on the rostrum on the Ronald Reagan Constructing, Aug. 21, 2019, in Washington, D.C.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos
On the opposite facet of the aisle, Minority Chief Chuck Schumer stated he was “proud” of his Democratic colleagues for standing collectively to dam DHS funding from advancing whereas they proceed to advocate for modifications to ICE.
“Right this moment’s robust vote was a shot throughout the bow to Republicans. Democrats is not going to assist a clean test for chaos. This vote immediately requested a easy query: Will you rein in ICE’s abuses, or will you vote to increase the chaos? Republicans selected chaos and the Democrats, we refused,” Schumer stated at a information convention.
Home Democratic Chief Hakeem Jeffries equally stated Thursday that funding for DHS “mustn’t transfer ahead” except there are “dramatic modifications” made to ICE.
“ICE is totally and completely uncontrolled. We all know they must be reined in now, with out additional delay,” Jeffries stated at his information convention.
Democrats are calling for judicial warrants earlier than brokers can enter personal property, a ban on ICE brokers carrying face masks, requiring the usage of physique cameras and new legal guidelines for use-of-force requirements.
Democrats have thus far rejected the White Home proposals for ICE reform. Schumer on Thursday repeatedly stated the proposal from the White Home was “not critical.”
However Schumer and Senate Democrats, in addition to Republicans, have declined to supply particular particulars about what was within the White Home proposal.
“Properly, look, first, I am not going to barter in public and get into the small print. However second, their proposal shouldn’t be critical, plain and easy. It is extremely far aside from what we’d like,” Schumer stated.
ABC Information has reached out to the White Home for a response to Schumer and Jeffries.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson argued the newest proposal from the White Home to fund DHS is “imminently affordable.”
President Donald Trump speaks throughout an occasion to announce a rollback of the 2009 Endangerment Discovering within the Roosevelt Room on the White Home, February 12, 2026 in Washington.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos
President Trump was requested concerning the impending shutdown as he took reporter questions at a White Home occasion on Thursday.
Trump stated he final spoke with Schumer “per week in the past” and stated some calls for from Democrats are “very onerous to approve” with out elaborating on what these calls for are.
“We’ve got to guard our regulation enforcement,” Trump stated.
Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem accused Democrats of not preserving America protected.
“Each different portion of the federal authorities has been funded besides Homeland safety. That is telling the remainder of the world the Democrat Get together would not assume that defending America is protected. It is the mistaken message to ship,” Noem stated at a press convention in California.
ABC Information’ Lauren Peller, John Parkinson, Justin Gomez, Luke Barr and Nicholas Kerr contributed to this report.
