On Sunday, the chances of a partial shutdown of the US government by the end of the week rose as the anger of Democrats was fueled by the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by US immigration agents in Minnesota, the second such incident within the same city this month.
Democratic senators threatened that if the massive $1.2 trillion funding deal for the federal budget includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which manages immigration enforcement agencies, they will refuse the funding package.
Republicans Refuse to Remove DHS Funding
Although Democrats were opposed, the Senate’s Republican leaders indicated that the package wouldn’t be amended by removing the DHS appropriation. According to a person familiar with the talks, the leaders’ discussion, made known to CNBC, indicated the following:
“The GOP leaders are determined to proceed with the package even if that prompts a shutdown.”
“Government funding expires at the end of the week, and Republicans are determined to not have another government shutdown,”
the person said.
“We will move forward as planned and hope Democrats can find a path forward to join us.”
The House of Representatives approved the funding package on Thursday.
Senate Math Leaves Democrats With Leverage
If the Senate does not pass the bill by Friday, a partial federal government shutdown will occur. A vote of 60 or more votes will be required for the bill to pass, and since Republicans enjoy a slight majority, having 53 votes to the Democratic Party’s 47 votes, a minimum of seven votes from Democrats will be required for it to pass.
Two Fatal Shootings Intensify Democratic Opposition
The killing of Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and intensive care unit nurse, reignited Democratic concerns about funding DHS. Lawmakers were already outraged by the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident killed by an ICE officer on January 7.
“Senate Democrats will not allow the current DHS funding bill to move forward,”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday.
“Senate Republicans have seen the same horrific footage that all Americans have watched of the blatant abuses of Americans by ICE in Minnesota,”
Schumer added, calling the deaths of Good and Pretti “appalling murders.”
“People should be safe from abuse by their own government,”
he said.
Key Senators Say They Will Vote No
Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said on CBS’s Face the Nation that he would not support a bill that includes ICE funding under current circumstances.
“Take up DHS by itself, let’s have an honest negotiation, put some guardrails on what’s going on, some accountability, and that would solve this problem,”
King said.
“We don’t have to have a shutdown.”
King played a pivotal role in ending last year’s record 43-day shutdown, repeatedly voting to reopen the government.
House Recess Complicates Any Changes
However, the House, which approved the measure, immediately went into a pre-scheduled recess. But if the Senate were to amend the measure by stripping the DHS funds, for example, House members will need to be present to vote it before the shutdown deadline. However, it remains to be seen if House Republicans, who dominate the House, can or will do it.
Opposition Extends Beyond DHS Funding
Democrats were also against the massive funding project, which does not only fund DHS but also the Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Education, the Department of State, and the Department of Treasury. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press and said she would not vote on the legislation.
“No, I am not voting for this funding,”
Klobuchar stated.
“Our Republican colleagues have to stand up and stop this.”
Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington and the top Democrat on the Senate committee, which is responsible for appropriating funding, said she would also not support the bill if there is money allocated to the Department of Homeland Security.
Democrats Demand Accountability for DHS
Murray warned earlier that the idea a shutdown might restrain what she called administration “lawlessness” was misguided.
“Federal agents cannot murder people in broad daylight and face zero consequences,”
Murray wrote on X on Saturday.
“I will NOT support the DHS bill as it stands,”
she added, urging Republicans to split DHS funding from the broader package.
Can the DHS Portion Be Split Off?
It remains uncertain whether the Senate can separate DHS funding from the rest of the bill. Although the House initially passed the DHS measure separately, all funding provisions were ultimately bundled together before being sent to the Senate. Splitting the bill would require Republican support, which has not yet materialized.
A Shutdown Is Still Avoidable—But Far From Certain
Some Democrats could still join Republicans and agree to pass the package of funds and thereby avoid the shutdown, given the essentiality of funds for other federal agencies.
DHS might also be less impacted by a shutdown if it taps into the hundreds of billions of dollars it has access to under the plan introduced by the Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill” last summer. However, this cannot be guaranteed. Some of the Democrats who were instrumental in ending last year’s shutdown have now threatened to vote against this bill if it includes money for DHS.
“I will not support the current Homeland Security funding bill,”
said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada.
“Let’s pass the remaining five bipartisan bills and fund essential agencies while we continue to fight for a Department of Homeland Security that respects Americans’ constitutional rights.”
Snowstorm Shrinks Timeline Further
Adding to the pressure, a major snowstorm sweeping across Washington, D.C., and large parts of the United States forced the Senate to cancel votes on Monday.
The weather disruption has further compressed an already narrow window to prevent a partial government shutdown by the end of the week.
