Schumer outlines Democrat demands to pass DHS funding bill

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday outlined his party's list of demands for changes to the Department of Homeland Security's funding bill, which faces a Friday deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown.

Democrats have objected to the DHS bill amid ongoing protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minneapolis, during which two protesters were shot and killed by federal agents this month.

Schumer has vowed that his party will help pass the five other outstanding funding bills, which have all passed the House, but said Monday that they would not pass the DHS bill in its current form.

The Democratic leader said the demands include requiring judicial warrants for immigration arrests, a ban on agents using masks while on duty, mandates on agents wearing body cameras and IDs and creating a “uniform code of conduct and accountability,” per Politico.

“These are common sense reforms, ones that Americans know and expect of law enforcement,” Schumer said. “If Republicans refuse to support them, they are choosing chaos over order, plain and simple. They are choosing to protect ICE from accountability over American lives.”

The proposals also include a prohibition on patrols by ICE officers and a requirement that they coordinate with local and state police, according to The Guardian. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that he was open to discussing reforms to ICE with Democrats outside the bill, but any serious changes would force the legislation to go back to the House, which is not in session this week.

The Senate is expected to vote on the six bills, which includes the DHS funding bill, on Thursday.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.