The Senate and President Trump struck a short-term deal funding most agencies through Sept. 30 while giving DHS only a two-week extension so Democrats can press for ICE reforms. Democrats want an enforceable code of conduct, limits on roving patrols, clearer warrant rules and stronger ID/body-camera requirements after two deaths in Minneapolis. The administration has shuffled personnel and held private meetings to contain political damage as leaders rush to avoid a weekend shutdown.
ICE Takes Major Blow After Senate-Trump Deal Separates DHS Funding
Donald Trump/Truth Social
Senate Democrats reached a short-term agreement with President Donald Trump to avert a government shutdown, funding most federal agencies through Sept. 30 while carving out the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for a separate, two-week extension. Democrats say the brief extension creates leverage to press Republicans for reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The deal funds the vast majority of the government until the end of the fiscal year but leaves DHS on a two-week timeline so lawmakers can negotiate specific reforms for immigration enforcement practices.
Administration Reaction
On Truth Social, the president praised the economy and warned that another prolonged shutdown would harm the country, saying he was working with Congress to "fully fund the Government, without delay." The White House emphasized the need for a bipartisan vote to pass the package. The Daily Beast has contacted DHS for comment.
Democratic Strategy And Demands
By separating DHS funding, Democrats aim to extract concrete changes to ICE operations. Proposals under consideration include an enforceable code of conduct for agents, restrictions on roving patrols in U.S. cities, clearer warrant requirements, and stronger identification and body-camera policies for officers.
Good and Pretti's killings have sparked widespread protests across the Twin Cities. / Stephen Maturen / Getty Images
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has demanded that ICE agents operate with "masks off, body cameras on" and carry clear identification — standards already common for many local police agencies.
Minnesota Senator Tina Smith summarized the push for accountability: "Boil it all down, what we are talking about is that these lawless ICE agents should be following the same rules that your local police department does. There has to be accountability."
Political Pressure And Local Fallout
The standoff intensified after the deaths of Minneapolis residents Renee Nicole Good and Alex Prettia while in the custody of federal immigration officers. Those incidents fueled public backlash and declining poll numbers for the administration, prompting personnel changes and crisis management moves.
Officials have responded by removing Gregory Bovino from Minneapolis and sending former ICE acting director Tom Homan to the city in an effort described by aides as de-escalation. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem also held a two-hour closed-door meeting with the president as she sought to limit political fallout and shift responsibility onto senior aides.
CNN analyst Harry Enten has argued that public sentiment toward ICE has weakened, saying: "The bottom line is this: ICE and Trump are losing the argument when it comes to the American people. They don’t like this immigration enforcement, and it is costing Trump political points at this time."
What Could Happen Next
Party leaders are racing to pass the funding bill, but with the House in recess and many lawmakers out of Washington, a partial government shutdown remains possible if the package is not approved by the Friday night deadline. Speaker Mike Johnson warned it may take days to reconvene all members to secure votes.
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