A broad government funding package is facing fresh obstacles in the Senate following the fatal shooting of a Minnesota man by a federal officer, heightening political tensions over immigration enforcement and raising the risk of a government shutdown next Friday at midnight.
The legislation, which has already passed the House, requires 60 votes in the Senate to advance. Republicans hold 53 seats, meaning support from several Democrats is necessary. However, multiple Democratic senators now say they will oppose the package unless new restrictions are placed on how the Department of Homeland Security and immigration officers conduct enforcement operations.
The bill is expected to come before the Senate for a vote next week.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Saturday that Democrats would not provide votes to move forward if the DHS funding measure remains unchanged.
“What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling and unacceptable in any American city,” Schumer said in a statement. “Democrats sought common-sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but Republicans refused to stand up to President Trump. The DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in ICE abuses. I will vote no.”
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada said she also will oppose the DHS funding measure, criticizing the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.
“The Trump administration is putting undertrained, combative federal agents on the streets with no accountability,” she said. “This is not about keeping Americans safe. It is about brutalizing U.S. citizens and law-abiding immigrants. I will not support the current Homeland Security funding bill.”
Senator Jacky Rosen, also of Nevada, said she would vote against any funding package that includes DHS money without new oversight measures.
“When I see abuses of power like we are seeing from ICE, I have a responsibility to hold the administration accountable,” Rosen said. “I will vote against any government funding bill that lacks guardrails to ensure accountability and transparency.”
Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, who had already expressed opposition before the Minnesota shooting, said Congress should not endorse a president he described as “acting chaotically and unlawfully,” calling for significant amendments to the package.
Republican senators, meanwhile, defended DHS in the wake of the incident. Authorities identified the man killed in Minnesota as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who worked with military veterans.
The standoff leaves the funding package uncertain as the deadline to avert a government shutdown approaches.
























