{"id":1403789,"date":"2026-02-04T07:09:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T12:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thenewsherald.com\/?p=1403789&preview=true&preview_id=1403789"},"modified":"2026-02-04T15:50:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T20:50:45","slug":"congress-democrats-demands-customs-enforcement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thenewsherald.com\/2026\/02\/04\/congress-democrats-demands-customs-enforcement\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats demand \u2018dramatic changes\u2019 for ICE, including masks, cameras and judicial warrants"},"content":{"rendered":"

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and JOEY CAPPELLETTI, Associated Press<\/strong><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Democrats are threatening to block funding for the Homeland Security Department when it expires in two weeks unless there are \u201cdramatic changes\u201d and \u201creal accountability\u201d for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies who are carrying out President Donald Trump’s campaign of\u00a0federal immigration enforcement<\/a>\u00a0in Minnesota and across the country.<\/p>\n

Congress is discussing potential new rules for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection after officers shot and killed\u00a0two Minneapolis protesters<\/a>\u00a0in January. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated their party’s demands on Wednesday, with Schumer telling reporters that Congress must \u201crein in ICE in very serious ways, and end the violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democrats are \u201cdrawing a line in the sand” as Republicans need their votes to continue the funding, Jeffries said.<\/p>\n

The negotiations come amid some bipartisan sentiment that Congress should step in to de-escalate tensions over the enforcement operations that have rocked Minnesota and other states. But finding real agreement in such a short time will be difficult, if not \u201can impossibility,” as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Tuesday.<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump last week\u00a0agreed to a Democratic request<\/a>\u00a0that funding for the DHS be separated from a larger spending bill and\u00a0extended at current levels for two weeks<\/a>\u00a0while the two parties discuss possible requirements for the federal agents. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said this weekend that he was at the White House when Trump spoke with Schumer and that they were \u201con the path to get agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s unclear if the president or enough congressional Republicans will agree to any of\u00a0the Democrats\u2019 larger demands<\/a>\u00a0that the officers unmask and identify themselves, obtain judicial warrants in certain cases and work with local authorities, among other asks. Republicans\u00a0have already pushed back<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And House GOP lawmakers are demanding that some of their own priorities be added to the Homeland Security spending bill, including legislation that would require proof of citizenship before Americans register to vote. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and other Republican senators are pushing for restrictions on sanctuary cities that they say don’t do enough to crack down on illegal immigration. There\u2019s no clear definition of sanctuary jurisdictions, but the term is generally applied to state and local governments that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also uncertain if Democrats who are furious over the Trump administration\u2019s increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement operations would be willing to compromise.<\/p>\n

\u201cRepublicans need to get serious,\u201d Schumer, a New York Democrat, said, adding that they will propose \u201ctough, strong legislation\u201d in the next day.<\/p>\n

A look at Democrats\u2019 demands and what Republicans are saying about them:<\/p>\n