Elaina Batista Asst. Social Media Editor
In an effort to avert a government shutdown, politicians on Capitol Hill have been demanding changes to the Trump administration’s immigration policies. On Jan. 29, senate Democrats claimed to have secured a short-term deal with Republicans to keep the government open, with President Trump supporting the agreement.
Senate Democrats refused to keep the government open until the administration agreed to revise its immigration plans. This temporary agreement will give lawmakers time to negotiate topics such as asking ICE agents to wear body cameras and remove their masks. Additionally, ICE agents must use the same level of force as state and local law enforcement.
This deal consists of five spending bills to fund a larger part of the government for the remainder of the fiscal year. This deal also includes a stopgap measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks while they continue negotiating potential metrics for immigration officers.
It also divides the DHS bill from a bundle of bipartisan budget legislation that will finance vital agencies until Sept., including the Defense, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development departments.
The deal came in opposition to the spending package, which includes $64.4 billion for the Department of Homeland Security as well as an array of government agencies, including the Pentagon and health programs. Every Democrat opposed moving forward, as did several Republicans, citing various spending objections.
Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and minority leader, stated that House and Senate Democrats were “on the same page” regarding a list of limits they sought to impose in order to fund the Homeland Security Department.
Additionally, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, stated, “No one thinks we’re going to solve every problem, every single problem, in one fell swoop. But the American people are demanding that something gets done, and of course, to pass legislation and enshrine this into law. We need our Republican colleagues to come along with us.”
After the death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis at the hands of federal agents, Democrats demanded significant change and reform to the Department of Homeland Security. On Jan. 28th Schumer says, “Until ICE is properly reined in and overhauled legislatively, the DHS funding bill doesn’t have the votes to pass.”
President Trump took to Truth Social and wrote, “Republicans and Democrats have come together to get the vast majority of the government funded until September… I am working hard with Congress to ensure that we are able to fully fund the government without delay.”
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters that he was one of the senators who opposed the agreement, calling it a “bad deal.” The South Carolina Republican protested a renegotiation of the DHS funding package, claiming that ICE agents were “demonized” and that their treatment was “unconscionable.”
While Graham states that he supports the reforms that are being proposed by the Democrats, he stated on Thursday that he wants a vote on legislation cracking down on those jurisdictions that don’t comply with federal immigration laws, an idea Trump also backed this past month.