Senate Democrats ready to reject DHS funding extension, shutdown risk grows

Senate Democrats are not prepared to relent in their push for tough reforms to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and are prepared to oppose Senate Republicans’ plans to avoid a partial shutdown.

Their resistance comes as Senate Republicans and the White House have launched a counteroffer to Democrats’ proposed reforms to DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). But the two sides remain far apart on a deal to fund the agency, and they are quickly running out of time.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, the Senate’s top Democrat on the Homeland Security spending panel, said he would not support another extension of DHS funding in the short term unless Republicans make significant concessions on immigration enforcement.

SCHUMER, JEFFRIES TASH TRUMP’S DHS PROPOSAL AS “INCOMPLETE AND INSUFFICIENT”

Senate Democrats are not prepared to relent in their push for tough reforms to DHS and ICE, and are prepared to oppose Senate Republicans’ plans to avoid a partial shutdown. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty)

Murphy also dismissed the White House proposal, calling it “sophomore talking points.”

“We had a lot of time, they wasted two weeks,” Murphy said. “They still haven’t given us an answer or a meaningful response.”

His position is shared by several Democratic senators, who have united around a desire to codify a list of 10 DHS reforms. These include requiring ICE agents to obtain court warrants, unmask and display identification — provisions that Republicans have called red lines.

The impasse follows criticism Monday night from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who rejected President Donald Trump’s counteroffer.

In a joint statement, the leaders said the proposal “is both incomplete and insufficient to address Americans’ concerns about ICE’s unlawful conduct.” Jeffries added that he would not support further short-term funding, known as continuing resolution (CR), as of Tuesday morning.

SENATE RUNS TO AVOID THIRD SHUTDOWN AS DHS AGREEMENT TAKES SHAPE

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is preparing a short-term DHS funding extension and hopes Senate Democrats will support it. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Schumer argued there was plenty of time to reach a deal.

“There’s no reason why we can’t finish this by Thursday,” he said.

As Friday’s funding deadline approached, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., crafted a backup plan Tuesday night as the risk of a shutdown grew.

Thune and Senate Republicans have warned since Trump and Schumer finalized a broader funding deal earlier this month that Congress does not have enough time to negotiate and pass a revised DHS funding bill in just two weeks.

“I understand that on the other side of the Capitol, Democrats are already opposing it, which is not a big surprise since they haven’t voted for anything yet,” Thune said.

“I think there are Democrats in the House and Senate who want to see this problem resolved,” he added. “I hope the conversations come to an outcome, but we probably won’t know by the time the current CR expires.”

REPUBLICANS WARN DEMOCRATS’ ICE REFORM IS A COVER FOR DEFINING BORDER CONTROL

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Republican of Oklahoma, speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol during the vote-a-rama on President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” reconciliation package, June 30, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

As in most funding disputes, both sides accuse the other of not negotiating in good faith.

“I’m not for putting DHS on a CR until they show us that they really want to do something,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told Fox News Digital.

Republicans counter that Democrats spent more than a week crafting their proposal, while the White House presented a counteroffer in less than two days.

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Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Republican of Oklahoma, told Fox News Digital that Republicans didn’t expect their counterparts to accept their offer, “but we didn’t accept theirs either.”

“I hope it’s a functional print,” Mullin said. “We can start negotiating, because we absolutely don’t take their business. But the fact is, what we’re trying to do is protect the ability of ICE and our border agents to do their job. I think it’s pretty clear, though, unless the Democrats want to shut down DHS, we’re going to have to do another CR.”