Homeland Sec. Shutdown More Likely     02/06 06:06

   Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday that demands made by 
Democrats for new restrictions on federal immigration officers are 
"unrealistic" and warned that the Department of Homeland Security will shut 
down next week if they do not work with Republicans and the White House.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday that 
demands made by Democrats for new restrictions on federal immigration officers 
are "unrealistic" and warned that the Department of Homeland Security will shut 
down next week if they do not work with Republicans and the White House.

   Democrats say they will not vote for a DHS spending bill when funding runs 
out unless there are "dramatic changes" at U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement and other federal law enforcement agencies in the wake of the fatal 
shootings of two protesters in Minneapolis last month.

   The Democratic leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, 
released an expanded list of 10 detailed proposals on Wednesday night for 
restraining President Donald Trump's aggressive campaign of immigration 
enforcement. Among the demands are a requirement for judicial warrants, better 
identification of DHS officers, new use of force standards and a stop to racial 
profiling.

   Congress is trying to renegotiate the DHS spending bill after Trump last 
week agreed to a Democratic request that it be separated from a larger spending 
measure and extended at current levels for two weeks while the two parties 
negotiate. The deal came after ICU nurse Alex Pretti was shot and killed by a 
U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, and some Republicans 
agreed that new restrictions were necessary.

   But with nearly a week gone, a shutdown is becoming increasingly likely 
starting Feb. 14 as Republicans have been cool to most of the Democrats' 
requests.

   "This is not a blank check situation where Republicans just do agree to a 
list of Democrat demands," said Thune, R-S.D. "The only way to get reforms to 
ICE is to agree to a bill."

   As of now, Thune said, "we aren't anywhere close to having any sort of an 
agreement."

   In addition to ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the homeland 
security bill includes funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and 
the Transportation Security Administration. If DHS shuts down, Thune said, 
"there's a very good chance we could see more travel problems" similar to the 
43-day government closure last year.

   Democratic demands

   Schumer, D-N.Y., said he is "astounded to hear" Republicans say his party's 
proposals were political or unworkable.

   "It's about people's basic rights, it's about people's safety," Schumer 
said. If Republicans do not like the ideas, he said, "they need to explain why."

   Schumer and Jeffries, D-N.Y., have made several demands, including no masks 
for officers, judicial warrants and better federal coordination with local 
authorities. The list they released Wednesday added several new items, 
including a stricter use-of-force policy, legal safeguards at detention centers 
and a prohibition on tracking protesters with body-worn cameras.

   Democrats say Congress should end indiscriminate arrests, "improve warrant 
procedures and standards," ensure the law is clear that officers cannot enter 
private property without a judicial warrant and require that before a person 
can be detained, it's verified that the person is not a U.S. citizen.

   They also want an end to racial profiling, saying DHS officers should be 
prohibited from stopping, questioning or searching people "based on an 
individual's presence at certain locations, their job, their spoken language 
and accent or their race and ethnicity."

   For officers conducting immigration enforcement, Democrats say that in 
addition to officers taking off their masks and showing identification, DHS 
should regulate and standardize uniforms and equipment to bring them in line 
with other law enforcement agencies.

   Republican pushback

   Schumer called it a "gut check moment for Congress" as the immigration 
enforcement operations have rocked Minneapolis and other U.S. cities. But 
Republicans were dismissive.

   Wyoming's John Barrasso, the No. 2 Republican senator, said the demands are 
"radical and extreme" and a "far-left wish list."

   Sen. Katie Britt, who is helping lead negotiations, said the list is "a 
ridiculous Christmas list of demands" and warned that time is running out 
before the deadline.

   "I encourage them to talk to the White House," she said. "We only have one 
week left."

   Down to the last funding bill

   Thune has also encouraged Democrats and the White House to talk. It is 
unclear whether they are or whether Democrats would be willing to back down on 
any of their demands.

   Some Republicans have demands of their own, including adding legislation 
that would require proof of citizenship before Americans register to vote and 
restrictions on cities that they say do not do enough to crack down on illegal 
immigration.

   Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said it is up to Republicans to ensure the 
government doesn't shut down because they are in charge.

   "The American people want this abuse to stop," Murphy said.

   Some look to limit shutdown pain

   Other lawmakers are searching for options to prevent another partial 
shutdown.

   One idea being floated is to essentially fund some of the other agencies 
within DHS --- the Coast Guard, airport operations under TSA and disaster 
assistance from FEMA.

   "Why not take that off the table?" said Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North 
Carolina, whose state is in need of FEMA funds from recent disasters.

   "If it doesn't look like they can get it done," he said about the 
immigration enforcement overhaul. "I really think they should look at a la 
carte funding of agencies."

   Some Democrats have said they agree, but Thune said Thursday that splitting 
apart the DHS appropriations bill to single out ICE would "defund law 
enforcement."

   Splitting the bill would mean essentially cutting ICE loose by allowing it 
to go without its routine federal funding because the agency already has such a 
robust budget from Trump's tax and spending cut bill from last year.

   ICE is expected to receive about $10 billion in the annual appropriations 
bill, a fraction of the $175 billion-plus for homeland security for the 
administration's mass deportation agenda.