Today’s news about Minnesota and a government shutdown is concerning. President Trump and Senator Schumer possibly made a deal Wednesday night to negotiate new restrictions on federal immigration agents to avoid a shutdown.
Under the plan, the Senate will pass legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security from a six-bill package of spending measures required to fund the military, health programs, and other federal agencies through the rest of the fiscal year.
From the NY Times:
Under the emerging plan, according to two officials knowledgeable about it, the Senate would split off legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security from a six-bill package of spending measures needed to keep the military, health programs, and other federal agencies funded for the remainder of the fiscal year.
The Senate would pass those bills before a Friday midnight deadline, and Congress also would consider a short-term extension for homeland security operations, which would prevent an interruption of services by the Transportation Security Agency, Coast Guard, and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
That stopgap bill would provide time for talks between lawmakers and the White House to draft a new homeland security spending bill that would include new restrictions that Democrats have demanded on the tactics of immigration enforcement officers and more accountability for those accused of using excessive force.
The Senate is weak. They should let them shut down. Then, they should kill the filibuster, which Democrats will end once they are back in power. That would also allow them to pass the SAVE Act.
The reasons this is most concerning are that the GOP could be caving, thanks to our Senate, and the Democrats are making outrageous demands.
According to Politico, Democrats are coalescing around several DHS bill changes that make ICE’s job of detention impossible.
- They will require judicial warrants for immigration arrests. That would overrule a recently disclosed ICE memo asserting judicial warrants are not required. You can see how the judges rule.
- Other laws would mandate that federal agents identify themselves with more than a number, putting themselves in danger of doxxing.
- Their mandates would require DHS to cooperate with state and local investigations. That would mean Gov. Walz and Mayor Frey get to tell ICE and federal agents what to do. It makes them subservient to the state and local governments. That is unconstitutional.
- Democrats hope to limit the allegedly “mission creep of federal agencies.” That means the President can’t use federal agencies as he plans.
- Others also want to end roving patrols and profiling, require agents to use body cameras, and end arrest quotas.
