There very well COULD be several days to weeks hold up in Homeland Security ‘s 2026 Spending Budget Approval….
Or NOT?
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) on Wednesday laid out three major reforms to immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration that he said would be necessary to earn Democrats’ votes to pass a Homeland Security funding bill and avoid a government shutdown.
Schumer declared that Democrats won’t vote for Homeland Security funding unless Republicans agree to three demands:
- First, end roving patrols by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and tighten rules governing the use of warrants by officers targeting migrants.
- Second, enforce accountability by establishing a universal code of conduct governing federal law enforcement officers’ use of force.
- Third, prohibit federal officers from wearing masks and require them to wear body cameras and proper identification.
“Under President Trump, Secretary Noem and Stephen Miller,ICE has been unleashed without guardrails. They violate constitutional rights all the time and deliberately refuse to coordinate with state and local law enforcement,” Schumer said at a press conference, referring to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and senior White House adviser Stephen Miller.
“This is not border security, this is not law and order, this is chaos — created at the top and felt in so many of our neighborhoods,” Schumer said.
Schumer unveiled the Senate Democrats’ list of demands for avoiding a partial government shutdown after holding a lengthy caucus meeting on Wednesday afternoon….
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House Republicans warn against Senate changing DHS funding bill
House Republicans are warning the Senate against making any changes to a government funding package that includes funds for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), saying any reforms sought by Democrats would not clear the House and would lead to a government shutdown at the end of the week.
Conservatives also say they would seek significant concessions from Democrats if they were to split up the six-bill funding package and tinker with the DHS spending bill — threatening to seek avenues to fund the department without needing support from Democrats.
The warnings from House Republicans come as Democrats are seeking to insert last-minute reforms of federal immigration enforcement into the DHS funding bill after federal agents killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday. They have said they’re willing to pass the five bills it’s currently combined with but are willing to sink the entire package if the DHS bill isn’t removed….
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But any Senate changes to the six-bill legislation would need to be voted on again in the House, and Republican leadership is skeptical the chamber would be able to pass a new package….
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GOP senators open to splitting off DHS funding to pass other key spending bills
A group of Republican senators is open to splitting the Homeland Security appropriations measure off from a six-bill government funding package that needs to pass by Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown that would affect the Pentagon and other major departments.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said “a bunch” of Republican senators would be willing to set aside the Homeland Security appropriations bill in hopes of saving five other appropriations bills covering the departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, Transportation, State and financial services-related agencies.
“Sen. Thune can’t admit it because he’s got to act like a tough guy and the White House is negotiating and all of that, but most of you have been around here for a while and most of us have seen this vampire movie before,” Kennedy told reporters Wednesday.
“I think the Democrats don’t want to vote for a Homeland Security bill,” he added. “If that’s the case, then what are our choices? To throw out all the bills? Or one?”
“I think a rational person would say let’s pass what we can and work on the others,” Kennedy said….
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“If that was all that was left, we’d probably do it,” said the GOP lawmaker, who noted Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) hasn’t ruled out moving five of the appropriations bills without Homeland Security funding….
Update….
National Guard deployments to cities cost to American taxpayers….
The data was released Wednesday in response to a request from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. The estimate covers the troops’ deployment over the last six months of 2025, though it excludes a late dispatch to New Orleans….
President Donald Trump’s immigration forces stunned observers on Wednesday after they drew their weapons on an elderly couple in a church parking lot in Minneapolis.
The retired couple spoke with journalists outside the church on Wednesday, where Trump’s immigration agents were trying to catch members of the congregation as they left the building. The operation happened just days after the federal government arrested protesters who attended a church service in St. Paul and questioned one of the pastors over his ties to the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office.
“ICE agents who had the audacity to come and try to arrest and kidnap people leaving church on a Sunday morning,” the man remembered. “We turned into a parking lot and were greeted by approximately four unmarked ice vehicles with agents who immediately stopped us and pointed semi-automatic weapons in our face, asked us to roll down the windows, threatened us multiple times with arrest.”
“They had the professional demeanor of criminals,” the man added.
The interactions stunned observers, who shared their thoughts on social media.
“Yep, classic Antifa terrorist types right here. Oma and Opa were clearly out looking for violence, and not just bringing some hot dish to the Elks lodge,” lawyer Christopher Odell posted on Bluesky.
“My god. Look at these leftist radicals,” TV writer Chris Nowak posted on Bluesky.
“These are the people Miller’s army is at war against — anyone who might get in his way. Like good Americans with American values,” Chris Scherf, a retired sports writer, posted on Bluesky.
“Yeah I’m shocked that an almost completely untrained militia is so scary and violent! If only there were some historical precedent,” political analyst Molly Jong-Fast posted on X.
“‘Professional demeanor of criminals’ is a phrase we should make sure every person associates with this administration,” Seattle lawyer Ellery Johannessen posted on X.
“Becoming increasingly clear that these thugs are the Proud Boys,” Jonathan O’Brien, writer for The Irish Times, posted on X.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/trump-s-ice-shocks-observers-by-drawing-guns-on-retired-couple/ar-AA1Vcd3Z
Video: https://twitter.com/i/status/2016493210139283573