The Division of Homeland Safety is all however sure to expire of funding on the finish of the day Friday as lawmakers left Capitol Hill Thursday with no deal in sight.
Senate Democrats voted unanimously to dam a DHS spending invoice that was negotiated earlier than the deadly taking pictures of Alex Pretti by federal brokers in Minneapolis, saying it didn’t tackle their calls for for reform at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
An effort by Republican Sen. Katie Britt to increase funding for DHS for 2 weeks to permit time for additional negotiations additionally failed.
The Senate has no additional votes scheduled for this week and lots of senators had been boarding planes to Germany for the Munich Safety Convention. Home members additionally left city.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters on the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 12, 2026.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Homeland Safety officers from the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company (CISA), the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Coast Guard beforehand warned lawmakers {that a} lapse in funding will go away hundreds of personnel working with out pay, disrupt catastrophe reimbursements, delay cyber protections and put a pressure on companies barely digging out of the earlier authorities shutdown.
ICE, nonetheless, will largely proceed working due to the $75 billion already authorised by Congress in President Donald Trump’s so-called “one massive stunning invoice” that was handed final summer season.
Senate Majority Chief John Thune instructed reporters that talks would proceed over the weekend and into subsequent week’s Presidents Day week recess. However he slammed Democrats for blocking each efforts to maintain DHS funded.
“What it seems to me, at the very least at this level, is going on is the Democrats, like they did final fall, they actually don’t desire the answer. They do not need the reply. They need the political challenge,” Thune mentioned. “Negotiations will proceed and we are going to see in the middle of the subsequent few days how severe they’re.”
The Division of Homeland Safety seal on the rostrum on the Ronald Reagan Constructing, Aug. 21, 2019, in Washington, D.C.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos
On the opposite facet of the aisle, Minority Chief Chuck Schumer mentioned he was “proud” of his Democratic colleagues for standing collectively to dam DHS funding from advancing whereas they proceed to advocate for adjustments to ICE.
“At present’s sturdy vote was a shot throughout the bow to Republicans. Democrats won’t assist a clean test for chaos. This vote at present requested a easy query: Will you rein in ICE’s abuses, or will you vote to increase the chaos? Republicans selected chaos and the Democrats, we refused,” Schumer mentioned at a information convention.
Home Democratic Chief Hakeem Jeffries equally mentioned Thursday that funding for DHS “mustn’t transfer ahead” except there are “dramatic adjustments” made to ICE.
“ICE is totally and completely uncontrolled. We all know they should be reined in now, with out additional delay,” Jeffries mentioned at his information convention.
Democrats are calling for judicial warrants earlier than brokers can enter non-public property, a ban on ICE brokers carrying face masks, requiring the usage of physique cameras and new legal guidelines for use-of-force requirements.
In a press release, a White Home official instructed ABC Information, “The Administration has made many good religion efforts to have productive, bipartisan conversations with all concerned. Democrats mustn’t select to close down the federal government and danger funding for companies that People depend on so as to attempt to advance an unrelated political purpose. The Administration stays fascinated about good religion conversations, however won’t be held hostage on a problem that the President was elected on. “
Democrats have up to now rejected the White Home proposals for ICE reform. Schumer on Thursday repeatedly mentioned the proposal from the White Home was “not severe.”
However Schumer and Senate Democrats, in addition to Republicans, have declined to supply particular particulars about what was within the White Home proposal.
“Properly, look, first, I am not going to barter in public and get into the main points. However second, their proposal is just not severe, plain and easy. It is rather far other than what we’d like,” Schumer mentioned.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson argued the most recent proposal from the White Home to fund DHS is “imminently affordable.”
President Donald Trump speaks throughout an occasion to announce a rollback of the 2009 Endangerment Discovering within the Roosevelt Room on the White Home, February 12, 2026 in Washington.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos
President Trump was requested in regards to the impending shutdown as he took reporter questions at a White Home occasion on Thursday.
Trump mentioned he final spoke with Schumer “per week in the past” and mentioned some calls for from Democrats are “very exhausting to approve” with out elaborating on what these calls for are.
“We’ve got to guard our legislation enforcement,” Trump mentioned.
Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem accused Democrats of not retaining America secure.
“Each different portion of the federal authorities has been funded besides Homeland safety. That is telling the remainder of the world the Democrat Social gathering does not suppose that defending America is secure. It is the fallacious message to ship,” Noem mentioned at a press convention in California.
ABC Information’ Lauren Peller, John Parkinson, Justin Gomez, Luke Barr and Nicholas Kerr contributed to this report.
