WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has succinctly encapsulated the ongoing controversy over the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) shutdown into three primary issues, as numerous federal employees, including ICE agents and TSA screeners, experience the hardship of missed paychecks.
Despite some initial divergence in strategy with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Schumer (D-NY) has maintained focus on the trio of core objectives he first highlighted in late January. This comes even as both leaders have publicly articulated a list of 10 specific demands.
In an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Schumer emphasized, “Our main goals are straightforward: curtail ICE operations and put a stop to the violence,” when questioned about his willingness to compromise on the Democratic Party’s 10 demands.
The three focal points include halting the Trump administration’s practice of deploying mobile ICE patrols, enhancing accountability for immigration enforcement officers, and prohibiting ICE officers from wearing masks.
This governmental impasse led to the formal shutdown of DHS at midnight on Friday. Previously, Republicans secured funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The partial shutdown extends its impact across other DHS agencies, notably affecting the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), amplifying the ripple effects of the budgetary deadlock.
Border czar Tom Homan said that ICE agents won’t get paid during the funding lapse. During prior shutdowns, the Trump administration managed to move money around to give them pay. The Post contacted ICE for clarification.
“ICE has continued to enforce the law across the country,” Homan later told “State of the Union.” “They’re already funded. Now, the ICE officers won’t be getting paid, but they’re getting used to that, it seems like.”
All other government operations outside of DHS are fully funded for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30.
Democrats only gave Republicans 10 days in the latest funding bill to negotiate over their demands for reforms to ICE, despite Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) pushing for more time.
The Trump administration has made overtures, including the deployment of body cameras to all immigration enforcement officers and winding down Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has poured cold water on some of the Democrats’ demands, such as barring ICE officers from wearing masks and tighter warrant requirements.
Schumer downplayed concerns that barring ICE officers from wearing masks could expose them to retaliation from the cartels.
“Every other police department in America is unmasked. ICE can do the same,” Schumer shot back when asked. “This is a rogue force.”
“They’re almost trained, it looks like, to be nasty and mean and cruel and go way beyond what ordinary police departments do,” he went on. “So they need to be reined in.”
The White House had given Democrats a counteroffer last week, but the Dems quickly rejected that.
This is now the third government shutdown within the past three months. Unlike the record-breaking 43-day one last year, the current funding lapse is technically a partial shutdown rather than a full-fledged one.
Congress is currently out of town on a one-week recess.
