Democrats and White House exchange proposals as shutdown looms for DHS immigration operations
Kyiv • UNN
Democratic leaders in the U.S. Congress called the White House proposal "incomplete and insufficient." This comes amid demands for new restrictions on President Trump's immigration measures.
Democratic leaders in the US Congress said late Monday that the White House's proposal was "incomplete and insufficient," as they demand new restrictions on US President Donald Trump's immigration measures just days before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding deadline, AP reports, writes UNN.
Details
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the White House's counter-proposal to the list of demands they delivered over the weekend "contains neither details nor legislative text" and does not address "Americans' concerns about the lawless behavior of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)." The White House proposal was not publicly released.
The Democrats' statement comes amid a lack of time, as another partial government shutdown in the US could begin on Saturday. Among the Democrats' demands are a requirement for judicial warrants, better identification of DHS employees, new standards for the use of force, and an end to racial profiling. They say such changes are necessary after federal agents in Minneapolis shot and killed two protesters last month.
Earlier on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Republican John Thune expressed optimism about rare talks between Democrats and the White House, saying there was "progress forward."
Thune said it was a good sign that both sides were exchanging documents and "hopefully they can find common ground here."
But reaching an agreement on the complex issue of immigration control will be difficult, especially given that rank-and-file lawmakers in both parties are skeptical of finding common ground, the publication writes.
Republicans have rejected Democrats' requests, and some have their own demands, including adding legislation that would require proof of citizenship before registering Americans to vote, and restrictions on cities they believe are not doing enough to combat illegal immigration.
And many Democrats, outraged by aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns, have said they will not vote for a single penny of Department of Homeland Security funding until enforcement measures are drastically curtailed.
"Fundamental changes are needed at the Department of Homeland Security before a DHS funding bill is passed," Jeffries said earlier Monday. "Period. And period."
Congress is trying to revise the US Department of Homeland Security spending bill after Trump agreed to Democrats' request to separate it from a larger spending measure that took effect last week. That package extended DHS funding at current levels only until February 13, creating a short window for action as the two parties debate new restrictions on ICE and other federal officials.
Although he agreed to split the funding, Trump has not publicly responded to the Democrats' specific demands.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said late last week that the Trump administration was open to discussing some items on the Democrats' list, but "others seem to have no basis in common sense, and they are not suitable for this administration."
In addition to ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the national security bill includes funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration. If DHS shuts down, Thune said last week, "there's a very good chance we'll face new travel problems" similar to last year's 43-day shutdown.
Lawmakers from both parties proposed allocating funding for ICE and Border Patrol and passing the remainder by Friday. But Thune was cool to the idea, saying instead that Congress should pass another short-term funding extension for the entire DHS while negotiations continue on possible new restrictions.
"If more time is needed, then hopefully Democrats will be open to another extension," Thune said.
Many Democrats are unlikely to vote for another extension, the publication writes. But Republicans could potentially get enough votes in both chambers from Democrats if they are confident in the negotiations.
"The ball is in the Republicans' court," Jeffries said Monday.