House Dems Eye Funding DHS Without ICE, CBP Money

House Democrats are expected to introduce a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that excludes money for immigration enforcement as the standoff in Congress deepens ahead of another funding deadline.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, said Thursday that he has urged and expects Democrats on the Appropriations Committee to release a DHS bill "in the next few days."

The proposal would fund agencies under the department unrelated to immigration enforcement, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, and the Transportation Security Administration.

"There’s some things in there that need to be funded," Hoyer said at a Bloomberg Government roundtable. "We’re going to hold out until we have an agreement, which is why we want to fund the rest.

"Now, the Republicans can oppose it and say you don’t get this, but that’s not a very good political position for them to be in."

Hoyer said Senate Democrats are not part of the proposal, but he expects they will back the effort.

"Right now, it’s a House effort, but I think the Senate will support it," he said. "I can’t imagine why the Senate would not be for it."

Lawmakers must negotiate a full-year DHS funding bill by Feb. 13 when discretionary funding for the department expires. House Democrats have ruled out another continuing resolution for DHS without significant changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection policy.

"We’re in a position of no funding until such time as we reach a deal where ICE and Border Patrol are acting in a constitutional and legal way," Hoyer said.

DHS was funded through Feb. 13 after lawmakers separated the agency from a broader spending deal to buy a short negotiating window on immigration enforcement policy.

Democrats balked at approving a full-year DHS funding bill without new oversight and guardrails on federal immigration operations.

That compromise allowed Congress to reopen most of the government through the end of the fiscal year, while using a two-week stopgap for DHS.

The move effectively forced a separate, near-term vote on DHS funding and any accompanying enforcement conditions.

Democrats have tied their push to backlash over federal immigration operations, including the fatal shootings of two anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis by federal law enforcement.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement that ICE and CBP’s "lawlessness should not hamper the work of the agencies under the Department that follow the law and do excellent work in service to the American people."

She added that Democrats were "fighting to ensure" that TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard continue operating.

Newsmax reached out to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for comment.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday that Democrats want mandatory body cameras, tighter warrant requirements, and limits on officers masking their identities before backing full-year DHS funding. They argued immigration enforcement tactics have grown more aggressive.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Thursday that any DHS agreement should include "a serious discussion about the climate of harassment and worse that law enforcement officers have been facing for simply trying to do their jobs."

He also pressed Democrats to accept that Republicans intend to seek policy and funding changes as part of the DHS bill, rejecting the idea that GOP senators would simply sign on to Democratic priorities.

"This is not a blank-check situation where Republicans just agree to a list of Democratic demands," Thune said, adding that Democrats need to acknowledge Republicans "have changes they want to see" in the legislation.