US Democrats oppose Department of Homeland Security funding, raising risk of a partial federal government shutdown

US Senate Democrats are drawing a clear line against a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, sharply increasing the likelihood of a partial federal government shutdown. A recent shooting involving a federal officer in Minnesota appears to have sparked renewed political confrontation.

According to CNN on the 24th (local time), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Because Republicans refuse to stand up to President Donald Trump, the DHS funding bill is nowhere near sufficient to rein in abuses of authority by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” adding that he will vote against it. He also made clear that Democrats will not back the vote needed to begin consideration of the appropriations measure that includes DHS funding.

The Senate must pass government funding legislation by midnight Friday, and if it fails to do so, some federal agencies—including DHS—would enter a shutdown. The bill needs 60 votes to clear the Senate, but Republicans hold 53 seats, meaning they need cooperation from at least eight Democrats.

Opposition within the Democratic caucus is spreading. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto, Jacky Rosen and Tim Kaine said they oppose the DHS funding bill, arguing it lacks mechanisms to curb abuses of authority by federal officers. Senators Brian Schatz and Mark Warner also said they do not intend to support the measure.

Behind the standoff is a shooting involving a federal Border Patrol agent in Minnesota. The incident was the third shooting this month involving a federal officer, and it is amplifying political controversy as protests over ICE continue.

Meanwhile, the House passed DHS funding as a standalone bill, but in the Senate it is being debated bundled with funding for other departments. If the legislation collapses, the shutdown would also cover the Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Democrats are calling for additional safeguards such as mandatory body cameras for federal officers, but Republicans are not accepting the demand. With the political standoff persisting, markets are increasingly concerned that, in the near term, the risk of a federal government shutdown could once again become reality.