Democrats’ latest push to block funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget fight has already run into a brick wall. Despite the noise, ICE funding is still standing strong.
In July, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which set aside roughly $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border security. That package included about $75 billion in supplemental funding specifically for ICE, making it one of the most well-funded federal law enforcement agencies. So much for the “defund ICE” fantasy.
Even if parts of the federal government shut down at the end of the week, ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations in Minneapolis and nationwide are expected to continue without interruption. ICE agents are classified as “excepted” workers, meaning they stay on duty during a funding lapse. On top of that, the agency still has substantial carryover funds from last year’s Trump-backed appropriations. In other words, the job still gets done.
Democrats’ failure to derail ICE funding comes as outrage grows over the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and intensive care nurse killed by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis over the weekend. The incident has escalated tensions in Congress, with Senate Democrats warning they will oppose the DHS funding bill unless it is rewritten to include limits on immigration enforcement. That standoff could push the government toward a partial shutdown as the funding deadline approaches.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on X that Democrats will withhold the votes needed to advance the DHS funding measure unless it is revised to address concerns over ICE and immigration enforcement practices. This reflects growing resistance inside his party to including DHS funding in the broader appropriations package.
Democrats, including Schumer and Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, have argued since the Pretti shooting that the bill goes beyond simple immigration enforcement and must be changed. On Jan. 13, Casar urged Senate Democrats to demand reforms to ICE before supporting any major spending bill.
Casar outlined what he called nonnegotiable demands, including pulling federal immigration agents out of Minneapolis, stopping similar operations in other cities, and requiring independent investigations into any deaths involving federal agents. These demands were described in an interview with The Guardian. Apparently, enforcing the law is now optional in certain zip codes.
The White House and Republicans reached out to Senate Democrats late Sunday, but according to a PBS News report citing an anonymous Democratic leadership aide, no realistic compromise has emerged.
Despite the heightened tensions, Republicans have refused to separate DHS funding from the larger spending package. ICE and CBP operations are still expected to continue, in part because both agencies are funded as “essential” through carryover appropriations.
The bill also funds critical agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), especially important with 12 states under disaster declarations, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is already dealing with major travel disruptions. Letting the bill fail would impact far more than immigration enforcement.
For now, Democrats’ attempt to choke off ICE funding has been foiled, and border enforcement continues moving forward. The message is clear: law enforcement isn’t shutting down just because some politicians are angry. Order, security, and accountability remain in place—and that’s good news for the country.
