The United States faces an imminent partial government shutdown after Senate negotiations over Department of Homeland Security funding collapsed on Thursday, with Democrats demanding sweeping reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the fatal shooting of an American nurse by federal agents in Minneapolis.
The Senate failed to advance a six-bill funding package Thursday as eight Republicans joined Democrats to block the measure, leaving the government less than 24 hours from a partial shutdown. With the House in recess until Monday, a temporary lapse in funding appears inevitable even if negotiators reach an agreement.
The crisis stems from the January 24 killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital, who was shot multiple times by Customs and Border Protection agents during an immigration enforcement operation. Pretti, who had no criminal record and held a valid Minnesota permit to carry a firearm, became the second American citizen killed by federal forces in Minneapolis this month.
Bystander video verified by Reuters showed Pretti holding a mobile phone, not a weapon, as he attempted to help protesters who had been pushed to the ground by federal agents. The footage appears to show an agent removing a gun from Pretti before another officer fired four shots at his back in quick succession.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared that DHS funding will not pass until ICE is properly reined in and overhauled legislatively. Democrats are demanding that federal agents be barred from wearing masks during operations, required to use body cameras, subjected to strict warrant requirements, and bound by a uniform code of conduct with clear use-of-force rules.
The White House and Senate Democrats announced a tentative deal to separate homeland security funding from other appropriations and provide two weeks of temporary DHS funding while negotiations continue. However, procedural hurdles and the House recess make implementation before the Saturday deadline nearly impossible.
Several Republican senators, including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, have called for deeper investigations into the Minneapolis shooting, reflecting growing bipartisan concern over the administration's immigration enforcement tactics. Border czar Tom Homan has announced plans to reduce the federal agent presence in Minneapolis following the incident.
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