Fetterman Breaks with Democrats on DHS Shutdown

Pennsylvania senator says party put politics over country in standoff over ICE reforms

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., broke ranks with his party and joined Republicans in voting to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accusing Senate Democrats of prioritizing politics over the country's security needs. Fetterman argued that the shutdown would have "zero impact" on ICE operations, while disrupting other critical DHS agencies like the TSA and FEMA.

Why it matters

The DHS shutdown standoff highlights the deep partisan divisions over immigration policy, with Democrats demanding reforms to ICE and CBP that Republicans have resisted. Fetterman's defection from his party's position puts him at odds with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and raises questions about the Democrats' ability to maintain unity on this issue.

The details

Senate Democrats refused to fund DHS this week, pursuing stringent reforms to ICE following recent fatal shootings during immigration operations. However, Fetterman argued that the shutdown would not actually impact ICE's core functions, as Congress had already provided the agency with $75 billion in funding last year. Other DHS agencies like the TSA and FEMA, however, will face disruption from the partial government shutdown.

  • The deadline to strike a deal and avoid a DHS shutdown is midnight on Friday, February 13, 2026.
  • Many members of Congress, including those in the Senate, have already left Washington, D.C. for the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

The players

John Fetterman

A Democratic senator from Pennsylvania who broke with his party to vote in favor of funding the Department of Homeland Security, arguing that the shutdown would have "zero impact" on ICE operations.

Chuck Schumer

The Senate Minority Leader, who led the Democratic opposition to funding DHS without concessions on ICE and CBP reforms.

Donald Trump

The former president who signed a "big, beautiful bill" last year that provided $75 billion in funding for ICE over the next four years, insulating the agency from the impact of the current DHS shutdown.

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What they’re saying

“This shutdown literally has zero impact on ICE functionality. Country over party is refusing to hit the entire Department of Homeland Security. Democracy demands a way forward to reform ICE without damaging our critical national security agencies.”

— John Fetterman, U.S. Senator (X)

What’s next

Negotiations on striking a deal to reopen and fund the DHS are expected to continue in the background, with Senate Democrats signaling they may offer a counteroffer to the White House in response to the GOP proposal. However, a vote to restore funding is not expected until early next week at the earliest.

The takeaway

Fetterman's break with his party on the DHS shutdown vote highlights the deep partisan divisions over immigration policy and the challenges Democrats face in maintaining unity on this issue. While the shutdown will have little impact on ICE operations, it threatens to disrupt other critical DHS agencies, underscoring the need for bipartisan compromise on this complex and politically charged matter.