WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats said Wednesday they will block a key government funding bill that includes money for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), sharply raising the likelihood of a partial U.S. government shutdown when current appropriations expire Friday at midnight. The move comes amid growing outrage over recent fatal shootings by federal immigration agents and an intensified push by Democrats for broad reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to lawmakers and official statements.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York told reporters that his caucus will refuse to back the six-bill spending package unless significant changes are made to how ICE and other DHS agencies operate. Democrats are demanding legally enforceable reforms including banning the use of masks by immigration agents, mandatory body cameras, tighter warrant requirements for arrests and coordinated operations with local law enforcement. Schumer said Democrats will insist the agency be “reined in and overhauled” before extending funding through the end of September.
The spending package, passed last week by the Republican-led House of Representatives, would fund DHS at roughly $64.4 billion in fiscal 2026, including about $10 billion for ICE. Seven House Democrats joined Republicans in approving the legislation, but many Senate Democrats have since shifted to oppose it amid public outrage over the killings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Schumer and other Democratic senators, including Jacky Rosen, Martin Heinrich, Patty Murray and Catherine Cortez Masto, have said the DHS bill fails to curb what they describe as abuses by ICE and Border Patrol, citing the deaths of two civilians in recent Minneapolis operations. “Enough is enough,” Rosen said, adding that the bill should be split so the rest of the government can be funded while DHS provisions are debated.
Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, have expressed willingness to discuss changes but have resisted conditions that Democrats say would undermine border security. Thune and other GOP senators have suggested separating DHS funding from the broader package so other departments could be funded before the deadline, but that plan has not been agreed upon.
If Democrats follow through with their pledge to block the package in a procedural vote scheduled for Thursday, the Senate will lack the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation, locking in the potential for a partial shutdown beginning Saturday morning. A shutdown could furlough some federal workers and disrupt services at agencies without funding, although agencies covered by previously enacted bills would remain operational.
The standoff comes just two months after a prolonged shutdown last year over health care subsidies, and it underscores deep partisan divides over immigration policy and federal spending. With negotiations ongoing and no agreement yet in hand, lawmakers on both sides acknowledge that Friday’s deadline could pass without a deal. The story is developing.
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Hannah Price is a digital journalist who covers breaking news, global events, and trending stories with accuracy and speed. She has previously contributed to several online magazines and has built a reputation for verifying facts before publishing. Hannah believes in responsible reporting and aims to present stories in a way that readers can trust.
