Democrats Say Republican DHS Funding Counterproposal Is ‘Incomplete and Insufficient’

Top Democratic leaders said Republicans have not provided enough substance in a counterproposal on immigration enforcement as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approaches a Feb. 13 funding deadline.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said late on Feb. 9 that Republicans shared only an outline of a counterproposal and that it “included neither details nor legislative text,” calling the initial response “incomplete and insufficient.” They said Democrats are awaiting additional details and text.

The counterproposal has not yet been released publicly.

“We are continuing to have constructive conversations with members of both parties,” a White House official told The Epoch Times in an email. “President Trump wants the government to remain open and for critical services to remain funded.”

The statement from the top Democrats comes as Congress faces a looming deadline to avoid another lapse in funding for DHS, which includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies.

The broader spending package that became law last week extended DHS funding at current levels only through Feb. 13, setting up the possibility of a second partial shutdown beginning Feb. 14.

Democrats have tied their votes on DHS funding to new limits on immigration enforcement tactics and other federal law enforcement conduct.

Their demands include requiring judicial warrants, clearer identification for DHS officers, new use-of-force standards, and a halt to racial profiling, among other changes. Democrats’ push intensified after two protesters were fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis last month.

“Our position has been clear: Dramatic changes are needed at the Department of Homeland Security before a DHS funding bill moves forward,” Jeffries said in his weekly press conference on Monday. “Period. Full stop.”

Republicans have said that some of the Democrats’ demands would endanger officers or make enforcement unworkable.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Monday that requiring officers to remove masks could put agents and their families at risk due to doxing and threats. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) said on “Fox News Sunday” that Democrats were trying to energize their base ahead of midterm elections.

“The left has gone completely overboard, and they’re threatening the safety and security of our agents so they cannot do their job,” Hagerty said.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said on Feb. 9 that there was “forward progress” in the talks and called it a positive sign that both sides were trading papers. Still, lawmakers in both parties have expressed skepticism about reaching a deal on immigration enforcement.

Republicans have also raised their own demands, including adding legislation that would require proof of citizenship before Americans register to vote and imposing restrictions on so-called sanctuary cities, which they argue are not doing enough to cooperate with immigration enforcement.

Many Democrats have said they will not support additional DHS funding without major changes to enforcement policy.

A related dispute at the state level is playing out in California. On Monday, federal judge Christina Snyder partially blocked a state law that would bar federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks while performing official duties, while allowing a separate state identification requirement to stand.

“A federal court upheld California’s law requiring federal agents to identify themselves—a clear win for the rule of law,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said on Monday.

“No badge and no name mean no accountability. California will keep standing up for civil rights and our democracy.”

With the Feb. 13 deadline nearing, negotiators have discussed other paths to avoid a shutdown.

Some lawmakers have floated separating funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration from immigration agencies and passing that narrower bill quickly. Thune has instead suggested another short-term extension for all of DHS while talks continue.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.