During a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) addressed the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), attributing the situation to the Democratic Party. She noted that this shutdown comes at a time when the threat of terrorism is perceived to be elevated.
Speaking in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota, the progressive “Squad” member explained that Democrats in Congress have withheld support for a DHS funding bill. This move is contingent upon Republicans agreeing to implement certain changes to the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“As you’re aware, Democrats have taken a stand, insisting that we will not approve the DHS appropriations bill unless it includes ten straightforward reforms,” Omar stated. “These include measures like requiring ICE agents to identify themselves when patrolling our communities.”
Omar pointed out that the refusal of Republicans and the White House to accept these proposed changes has led to the partial government shutdown.
“Up to this point, both Republicans and the president have declined to agree to any of these reforms,” Omar emphasized. “As a result, DHS is without the necessary funding to pay for ICE and Customs and Border Protection. Additionally, there’s no funding for TSA agents, the Coast Guard, and our cybersecurity workforce.”
She underscored the significance of this issue by stating, “This is happening at a time when our terror threat level is elevated.”
House Democrats have repeatedly refused to reopen DHS since federal funding lapsed on Feb. 14.
Early last month — amid heightened concerns over the potential for Iran and its terrorist proxies to attempt some type of attack on the homeland – all but four House Democrats voted against a DHS funding measure that included several Democratic demands, including a body camera mandate and training requirements for ICE agents.
Last week, nearly every House Democrat opposed a stopgap measure to fund DHS for 60 days.
Senate Democrats have similarly repeatedly refused to support GOP efforts to reopen the department.
Last week, the upper chamber cleared a DHS funding bill – without appropriations for ICE and CBP – that the House plans to take up in the coming days.
Senate Republicans intend to fund ICE and CBP through the reconciliation process – which does not require a 60-vote threshold to pass – at a later date.
