“Democrats remain committed to keep fighting for real reforms to rein in ICE and stop the violence,” Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said in a joint statement.
Are Democrats Feeling the Pressure?
The details of Trump’s new deal haven’t been released to the public yet, but it seems unlikely the counteroffer will fully satisfy. Both sides seem to have chosen the same two items on the Democrats’ list of demands to take the firmest stance behind. Republicans have so far rejected the mask ban for federal agents and the requirement of judicial warrants before forcing entry more fervently than the other items on the list. It seems unlikely that any amount of other concessions will make up for that in the eyes of progressives.
But Democrats may be feeling the pressure of the shutdown more than the GOP is at this point. First, the statement that they’re reviewing Trump’s offer rather than quickly glancing at it then rejecting it outright represents a significant change of pace. But other cracks are beginning to show, as well.
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) is trying to pressure Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem into restarting the TSA’s Global Entry program and to back off her new threats to suspend TSA PreCheck. Rosen represents Las Vegas – one of the nation’s largest tourist hubs, and the shutdown, now into its third week, is starting to affect travel there. Slowing and complicating air travel around Las Vegas means hampering big business, and that means upsetting some very wealthy and powerful people who aren’t quite pleased with their legislators right now.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is beginning to worry, as well. “We, of course, want DHS, TSA, FEMA to be funded,” he said during a Friday afternoon press conference in Phoenix. “But funding an agency that is already funded at $175 billion – more than the Marine Corps – that killed two American citizens, that’s engaging in racial profiling, that has horrible stories like a recent refugee that was dropped off five miles from his home in cold weather and died from exposure? We need to have guardrails, and we’re not getting them right now.”
But what guardrails? It’s the partial shutdown of DHS that leaves all the oversight meant to keep ICE and CBP in line unfunded. Gallego, like many Democrats, wants “guardrails,” but he and his colleagues vote to stop paying for those very safeguards.
ICE Is Growing – And Getting More Aggressive
DHS has been officially unfunded since February 14 – but ICE keeps rolling right along without interruption. In fact, just last month, the agency reached an all-time high of 70,766 detainees nationwide. DHS bought a 418,400-square-foot warehouse in Surprise, Arizona, to expand its holding capabilities – and, earlier this week, ICE published an agreement to operate a privately run prison in Marana, Arizona.
Meanwhile, ICE arrested a Columbia University student for overstaying her visa – though President Trump assured NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani that she has since been released. Most concerning, however, was the agents’ methods. Early on the morning of the arrest, five plainclothes immigration agents reportedly arrived at the university-owned apartment building and demanded entry. They allegedly claimed to be from the police department and searching for a missing child.
The building superintendent let them in, and security footage revealed they interacted with people in the hallway, showing pictures of the allegedly missing child. Claire Shipman, acting president of Columbia, told the press that a public security officer arrived and, realizing the “cops” weren’t who they said they were, asked for a warrant. They refused to produce a warrant, of course – since illegal immigration is a civil offense, ICE hasn’t been getting warrants to force entry or make arrests. The agents then found their target – 29-year-old student from Azerbaijan, Ellie Aghayeva – and arrested her before the security officer could call his supervisor.
Trump himself apparently stepped in this time. But pretending to be local police searching for a missing child certainly qualifies as drastic measures and an uptick in agency aggression. To be clear, these sneaky tactics are not illegal – but they are problematic. Now, when the real police are actually searching for a missing child, people may be skeptical and reluctant to help, which could cost future missing children their lives.
Democrats across Congress are outraged at the behavior of immigration agents and the GOP’s apparent lack of concern for how this failure to make a deal is playing out. Are the doubts creeping in yet – the fearful recognition that they can’t actually force ICE reform without the help of Republicans and the parts of DHS currently going unfunded? Neither side seems quite ready to cave entirely, but the president’s latest deal must be looking awfully tempting.
