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WASHINGTON — Despite the urgent need for resolution, both Congress and the White House remain at an impasse over federal immigration oversight, fueling an ongoing debate that has already led to a suspension in funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The stalemate resulted in a partial government shutdown beginning Saturday, following unsuccessful negotiations between congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump’s administration. The disagreement centers on the funding bill for DHS, which would secure its operations through September. Democrats are pushing for reforms in immigration enforcement in light of the recent fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis.
With Congress on recess until February 23, neither side seems willing to budge. The deadlock directly impacts several key agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Despite the shutdown, operations at ICE and CBP continue unimpeded thanks to additional funding from the 2025 tax and spending cut legislation, which allocated billions more to these agencies for deportation activities. Approximately 90% of DHS employees are required to keep working during the shutdown, albeit without pay. The lack of paychecks threatens financial strain for many of these workers, reminiscent of last year’s record 43-day government shutdown.
The work at ICE and CBP goes on unabated because Trump’s tax and spending cut law from 2025 provided billions more to those agencies that can be tapped for deportation operations. About 90% of DHS employees were to continue working during the shutdown, but do so without pay — and missed paychecks could mean financial hardships. Last year there was a record 43-day government shutdown.
White House border czar Tom Homan said the administration was unwilling to agree to Democrats’ demands that federal officers clearly identify themselves, remove masks during operations and display unique ID numbers.
“I don’t like the masks, either,” Homan said, But, he said, “These men and women have to protect themselves.”
Democrats also want to require immigration agents to wear body cameras and mandate judicial warrants for arrests on private property.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Democrats are only asking for federal agents to abide by rules followed by law enforcement agencies around the country.
“And the question that Americans are asking is, ‘Why aren’t Republicans going along with these commonsense proposals?’” Schumer said. “They’re not crazy. They’re not way out. They’re what every police department in America does.”
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said he could back Democrats calls to equip immigration officers with body cameras and would support efforts to bolster training. But he balked at their demands that federal officers remove masks and clearly identify themselves, noting some officers taking part in immigration enforcement operations have faced doxing and other harassment.
“What are you going to do, expose their faces so you can intimidate their families?” Mullins said. “What we want is ICE to be able to do their job. And we would love for local law enforcement and for states to cooperate with us.”
Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, a Trump ally who had pushed for a two-week extension of DHS funding while negotiations continued, said it was “shortsighted of Democrats to walk away” from talks.
Trump made enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws a centerpiece of his 2024 campaign for the White House and he promised to be aggressive in detaining and deporting people living in the United States without legal permission.
DHS reports it has deported more than 675,000 migrants since Trump’s return to office last year and claims some 2.2 million others have “self-deported” as the Republican president has made his immigration crackdown a priority.
“President Trump is not going to back away from the mission, the mission that American people said they wanted him to complete, and that is securing our border and making sure that we actually do interior enforcement,” Britt said.
Homan was on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Schumer and Mullin appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and Britt was interviewed on “Fox News Sunday.”
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