Democrats Reject GOP Counterproposal on ICE Changes as Shutdown Deadline Nears

Negotiations continue as lawmakers face Friday deadline to fund Department of Homeland Security

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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With just days until a Friday deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security, Republican and Democratic lawmakers remain at an impasse over Democrats' demands for new restrictions on President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats delivered proposed legislative text reflecting their 10-item list of demands to Republican leadership, but the GOP's counterproposal was "incomplete and insufficient" according to Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Why it matters

The funding fight over DHS erupted in the aftermath of recent incidents involving ICE agents, raising concerns about the agency's conduct and use of force. Democrats are pushing for reforms such as requiring judicial warrants before agents can enter private property, banning face masks, and establishing new use-of-force standards.

The details

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans, in conjunction with the White House, will seek demands of their own and resist any effort to "make it harder for law enforcement to detain and deport dangerous illegal aliens." Thune urged Democrats to support a stopgap funding proposal to keep DHS operating while negotiations continue.

  • The Friday deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security is approaching.
  • Democrats delivered their proposed legislative text over the weekend.
  • The GOP presented a counterproposal, which Democrats rejected on Monday night.

The players

Hakeem Jeffries

U.S. House Minority Leader (D-NY).

Chuck Schumer

U.S. Senate Minority Leader (D-NY).

John Thune

U.S. Senate Majority Leader.

Donald Trump

The former President whose immigration crackdown is at the center of the dispute.

Alex Pretti

An ICU nurse killed in a shooting involving federal law enforcement in Minneapolis on January 24.

Renee Good

A mother of three fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis on January 7.

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What they’re saying

“The initial GOP response is both incomplete and insufficient in terms of addressing the concerns Americans have about ICE's lawless conduct. Democrats await additional detail and text.”

— Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader (wondradio.com)

“We are asking ICE to do nothing more than follow the standards that the vast majority of law enforcement agencies already follow. Why should ICE be different, especially when they have such a record of brutality?”

— Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader (wondradio.com)

“Democrats have made their demands known in detail. Some of them are positive starting points for further discussions; others are non-staters and unnecessarily tie the hands of law enforcement.”

— John Thune, Senate Majority Leader (wondradio.com)

What’s next

If a DHS funding solution is not reached and passed in both chambers by the end of the day Friday, DHS would then shut down.

The takeaway

The ongoing negotiations over DHS funding and ICE reform highlight the deep partisan divide on immigration policy, with Democrats pushing for greater oversight and accountability of the agency and Republicans resisting any measures they see as hampering law enforcement's ability to detain and deport undocumented immigrants.