President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are staring down the barrel of another potential government shutdown at the end of the month — because of the Department of Homeland Security's crackdown on immigrants and protesters.
According to Politico, "Democrats, Republicans and the White House each say they want to avoid another costly lapse in government funding. But Saturday’s killing of a 37-year-old Minnesota man by federal agents has badly complicated the approach pattern for a massive six-bill appropriations package that the Senate planned to approve this week."
The shooting of Alex Pretti, the second such killing this month in Minneapolis, has even some Republicans second-guessing the administration's approach and calling for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officials to reevaluate their strategies. And it has Democrats adamant against the portion of the funding bill that increases immigration enforcement funding, already turbocharged by Trump's tax cut megabill last year, by billions of dollars.
"In the wake of the Minnesota shooting, Democrats want Republicans to join them in stripping out funding for the Department of Homeland Security from the sprawling package. Yet any changes would require further action in the House, which is out of town until Monday — after a shutdown would start at 12:01 a.m. Saturday," said the report. "Republicans are dangling alternatives that would avoid having to change the massive bill, including potential executive actions or an agreement to pass a separate piece of legislation. But Democrats believe they have leverage as Americans recoil at Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics in Minnesota and elsewhere."
Before the killing, Democrats were reportedly ready to provide enough votes in the Senate to advance the bill — but now, they are demanding a number of reforms, including mandatory judicial warrants for immigration agents and requirements for agents to identify themselves.
A GOP lawmaker in the House told Politico they're facing a “hellscape” of faction-fighting if the Senate makes the changes Democrats demand and sends the bill back for a re-vote. Another Republican aide vented, “Democrats already had a say in DHS funding during the bipartisan negotiations that occurred on each and every individual appropriations bill. If they renege on the agreement on any of these bipartisan bills, then it would open a bigger can of worms.”
According to the report, some Republicans believe the only path forward is if the Trump administration itself gives permission for some sort of compromise.