Democrats Block DHS Funding Ahead Of Partial Government Shutdown [View all]

Source: Huff Post

Feb 12, 2026, 02:03 PM EST | Updated 2 minutes ago


WASHINGTON ― Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked legislation funding for the Department of Homeland Security, holding firm in their demands for reforms to the conduct of federal immigration agents following the death of two American citizens in Minnesota last month.

The failed 52-47 vote, short of the 60 votes needed to advance, means parts of the Department of Homeland Security will shut down Friday at midnight, absent a last-minute deal between both parties and the Trump administration.

“Americans are crystal clear on how they feel about ICE – the status quo cannot continue,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a speech on the Senate floor. “We hear it from people back home and all over the country. People are angry. They’re afraid. They want accountability and an end to the chaos. The White House and Congressional Republicans must listen and deliver.”

Schumer said the Trump administration’s announcement on Thursday that it is withdrawing federal immigration agents from Minneapolis doesn’t change the need to codify reforms to their practices across the country. And he dismissed an offer this week from the White House for some changes to immigration policies as unserious and insufficient.

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democrats-dhs-shutdown-ice_n_698e17f2e4b0967ff007969d