Jan. 28 (UPI) — Senate Democrats on Wednesday said they will force the federal government to shut down again if three demands are not met ahead of Friday’s fiscal year 2026 budget deadline.
One demand is to end patrols by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, while limiting the use of warrants to arrest migrants.
Another demand is to establish and enforce a code of conduct regarding the use of force by federal immigration law enforcement officers.
The final demand is to ban federal officers from wearing masks and requiring them to wear body cameras.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York announced the party’s demands on Wednesday and said Senate Democrats won’t support funding for the Department of Homeland Security if they are not included in House-approved funding measures.
“President [Donald] Trump is not de-escalating things in Minneapolis as he claims — on the contrary, his administration is telling ICE and Border Patrol to stand back and stand by,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
“ICE needs to leave Minneapolis at once before another tragedy happens,” he added. “It is the right thing to do, both for the safety of the residents of Minneapolis and law enforcement. But that is just one step of many.”
Schumer said Senate Democrats will block a six-bill funding package if their demands are not met, which would trigger another federal government shutdown.
The demands were made after two people were shot and killed and a third was injured during immigration enforcement efforts in Minneapolis so far in January.
The federal government was closed for a record 43 days after House and Senate Democrats refused to vote on a clean continuing resolution to temporarily fund the federal government ahead of the start of the 2026 fiscal year on Oct. 1.
The shutdown lasted until eight Senate Democrats crossed party lines on Nov. 10 and voted to fund the federal government instead of insisting on adding $1.5 trillion in costs to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies over the next 10 years.
Although Senate Republicans control a majority of Senate seats with 53 to Democrats’ 47, including independents, it takes 60 votes to approve a budget bill and overcome the Senate’s filibuster rule.
Senate Republican leader John Thune of South Dakota on Tuesday said “productive talks are ongoing” and urged Senate Democrats to continue negotiating with Senate Republicans.
He described a potential shutdown as “needless” and said it would jeopardize funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard and other agencies.
“We need to fund these and other essential agencies and finish our 2026 appropriations work now,” Thune said.
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