Progressive Leader Urges Senate Democrats To Demand ‘Real Reforms’ To ICE Before Approving DHS Funding

Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, on Monday urged Senate Democrats to press for meaningful reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) before voting for a key funding package that includes Department of Homeland Security (DHS) money. Casar warned that Republicans would be held responsible if the dispute leads to a partial government shutdown.

The appeal follows the killing of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, an incident that disrupted fragile negotiations in Congress aimed at keeping government operations funded beyond Friday, when current spending authority expires.

Casar’s Five “Non-Negotiable” Demands

In an interview with The Guardian, Casar outlined five reforms he said should be conditions for supporting the DHS appropriations measure. He described them as broadly popular and necessary in light of recent federal actions in Minneapolis:

• Ban On Federal Agents Wearing Masks — A prohibition on agents concealing their identities while on duty.
• Independent Investigations — Establish independent, civilian-led probes into killings and use-of-force incidents involving federal agents.
• Withdrawal From Minneapolis And Other Cities — An immediate pullback of ICE and other federal law-enforcement deployments that Casar said have been "terrorizing" communities.
• Protections For U.S. Citizens — A prohibition on arrests or deportations of U.S. citizens and a ban on mass-arrest tactics.
• End To Arrest Quotas — Eliminate performance metrics that encourage quotas for arrests by federal agents.

“Those five are not a list of every reform that I want, but it’s a list that every American should be able to support and that we should be able to get every Senate Democrat to fight for,” Casar said.

Legislative Stakes

Senate Republicans moved to bring the final six spending bills to the floor this week, refusing Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s request that the DHS measure be considered separately. The package covers agencies such as FEMA and the Transportation Security Administration and includes roughly $10 billion for ICE — less than some Republicans sought.

The House passed the DHS appropriations bill last week by a narrow margin alongside five other spending measures. Any changes to the DHS bill would require the House to vote again, but the House is out of session until next week — by which point any funding lapse would already have begun if the Senate does not act.

In the evenly divided Senate, Republicans hold 53 seats; most appropriations measures need 60 votes to overcome filibuster thresholds and proceed. If Senate Democrats refuse to back the current DHS bill and Republicans keep it bundled with the other measures, multiple departments could lose funding after Friday, producing a partial government shutdown.

Political Responses And Controversies

Casar blamed Senate Republicans for the shutdown risk, saying they are protecting what he described as "Trump's deportation machine" and defending the federal response in Minneapolis. He argued Republicans are politically exposed for supporting current enforcement tactics even if it means risking a shutdown.

The article as provided appears to misidentify one official. It states Rep. Robin Kelly has proposed impeaching "Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary." For clarity: Kristi Noem is the governor of South Dakota, not the federal Secretary of Homeland Security. Reports say Rep. Kelly introduced an impeachment resolution in response to federal agents' actions in Minneapolis; the original text conflated or misidentified the office-holder. This version preserves the fact that Rep. Kelly introduced impeachment articles and notes the discrepancy in the original reporting.

What Happens If Funding Lapses?

Even if appropriations lapse, experts and some Republican aides say it may not fully halt large-scale immigration enforcement. A Republican staffer said the White House could order ICE agents to continue certain operations during a lapse, and the agency might access funds approved in prior legislation (the article references funds from last year tied to a broad appropriations package).

Casar and other progressives say the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good should catalyze reforms to federal enforcement and deployment practices, while Republicans push to advance the package and avoid a shutdown.

Note: This article improves readability, corrects grammar and flow, and clarifies an apparent factual error in the original reporting about an official’s title. All other substantive events and quotes are retained.