Senate Democrats scored a major victory on Friday, after Republicans and Democrats agreed to a compromise on federal funding that included key reforms aimed at curbing abuses by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The compromise package was sent to the House on Friday evening, but lawmakers won't be able to vote on it until next week.
The five-bill package includes measures such as requiring judicial warrants for ICE agents to make arrests, rather than administrative warrants, which Democrats see as a critical step towards reducing further incidents of violence by federal agents during immigration operations. The package also includes reforms aimed at limiting the use of force against migrants.
However, Senate Republicans and Democrats agreed to drop the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill from the package, which means that there is no immediate solution to the funding crisis facing the agency. A partial government shutdown is all but guaranteed after the 71-29 vote in the Senate.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he expected a decision on the package by Monday at the earliest, three days into the partial shutdown. However, passing the legislation under suspension of the rules could be a pathway to success, allowing it to bypass the House-wide procedural hurdle called a "rule vote".
The House Rules Committee is set to meet for a rare Sunday hearing to consider the bill, which could set up further action as early as Monday. House Republican resistance to the modified package has already fomented among members of the House Freedom Caucus.
"This is not like some wish list," Sen. Tina Smith said on the Senate floor. "This is really practical, commonsense stuff that would actually go a long way towards minimizing the harm that we're seeing in Minnesota."
However, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris said that delaying full year funding for DHS any further was a bad idea, adding that Democrats' desire to keep millions of illegal aliens in the United States would not suddenly disappear.
The five-bill package includes measures such as requiring judicial warrants for ICE agents to make arrests, rather than administrative warrants, which Democrats see as a critical step towards reducing further incidents of violence by federal agents during immigration operations. The package also includes reforms aimed at limiting the use of force against migrants.
However, Senate Republicans and Democrats agreed to drop the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill from the package, which means that there is no immediate solution to the funding crisis facing the agency. A partial government shutdown is all but guaranteed after the 71-29 vote in the Senate.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he expected a decision on the package by Monday at the earliest, three days into the partial shutdown. However, passing the legislation under suspension of the rules could be a pathway to success, allowing it to bypass the House-wide procedural hurdle called a "rule vote".
The House Rules Committee is set to meet for a rare Sunday hearing to consider the bill, which could set up further action as early as Monday. House Republican resistance to the modified package has already fomented among members of the House Freedom Caucus.
"This is not like some wish list," Sen. Tina Smith said on the Senate floor. "This is really practical, commonsense stuff that would actually go a long way towards minimizing the harm that we're seeing in Minnesota."
However, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris said that delaying full year funding for DHS any further was a bad idea, adding that Democrats' desire to keep millions of illegal aliens in the United States would not suddenly disappear.
. As someone who's lived through their fair share of social changes, I gotta say, it's disheartening to see folks on both sides getting worked up over something that seems so straightforward. We're talking about laws, people! Not politics as usual. Can't we all just agree on making sure our agents are following the rules and respecting human rights? 
It's not rocket science, but it feels like we're stuck in some sort of bureaucratic quagmire. What really gets me is that there are folks out there who think this is just a partisan issue when it shouldn't be 
. Let's try to find common ground and make progress on these issues, shall we? 
. Anyway, I think it's super crazy that they were able to agree on some reforms after all that drama. It's about time we see some real change in how ICE operates. I mean, requiring judicial warrants for arrests is a huge step forward 
. And limiting the use of force against migrants? That's just basic human decency. 
. Like, what even is the point of having a partial shutdown now? Just another way to hold people hostage and make them negotiate 
. She's always been one of those senators who actually gets things done, you know? And Andy Harris is just... well, he's Andy Harris 
.
what's the logic here? first they cut DHS from the package then say we can vote on it later? that just seems like a bunch of backpedaling to me 
A partial government shutdown is not a solution, but rather a symptom of the ongoing partisan gridlock. It's time for lawmakers to put aside their differences and find common ground. The House Rules Committee meeting on Sunday could be a turning point, but I'm not holding my breath 
- a squirrel with a missing tail! Like, where did it even go?! Anyway, back to this whole immigration thing... I don't get why we need all these rules and regulations. Can't we just, like, have an open conversation about it? I mean, I know there's been some really harsh stuff going on with ICE, but is that really the best way to address the issue? And what's up with the partial government shutdown thing? Like, isn't that just a fancy way of saying "we can't agree on anything"? 
Oh, and did I mention I saw a great coffee shop downtown yesterday...
with this whole immigration thing... i think senate democrats are makin some pretty smart moves here 
. like, requiring judicial warrants for ICE agents is a game changer 
. it shows they're actually listenin to the concerns of people on both sides of the aisle 
. and let's be real, limiting the use of force against migrants is a no-brainer 
. hope this compromise package holds up in the house tho 
. This is actually something that could make a real difference in reducing violence from federal agents 
, this isn't just about "wish list" stuff 
it's practical solutions to real problems 
. Can't wait to see the House take action and pass this bill 
!