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WASHINGTON — With the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) now officially shut down, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has pinpointed three critical issues at the heart of the ongoing standoff, which has left thousands of federal employees, including ICE agents and TSA screeners, without pay.
Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has consistently emphasized these three core objectives since late January, even as he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also a Democrat from New York, have publicly articulated a broader list of 10 specific demands. Despite apparent differences in their approach, Schumer made it clear that these key goals remain non-negotiable.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Schumer stated, “Our primary aim is to curb the actions of ICE and put an end to the violence,” when pressed on whether he would consider accepting anything less than the comprehensive list of demands put forth by the Democrats.
The three pivotal objectives Schumer highlighted include the cessation of the Trump administration’s mobile ICE patrols, implementing stricter accountability measures for immigration enforcement officers, and prohibiting ICE officers from wearing masks during operations.
The DHS shutdown, which took effect at the end of Friday, comes after Republicans allocated funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The impasse continues, with both sides seemingly entrenched in their positions, leaving federal workers caught in the crossfire without their regular paychecks.
That means the partial government shutdown impacts other DHS agencies such as the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
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.