House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed concerns Friday that demands by Democrats to limit funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement after an ICE agent fatally shot a 37-year-old female protester in Minneapolis would hinder larger government funding negotiations, Politico reports.
"We should not be limiting funding for Homeland Security at a dangerous time," Johnson said. "We need officials to allow law enforcement to do their job. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a critically important function of the government. It is a top concern for Americans, as demonstrated by the last election cycle."
Congress has passed only three of the 12 annual spending bills that fund federal agencies for the current fiscal year. Failure to pass the remainder before a Jan. 30 deadline risks another shutdown just weeks after the record-setting 43-day shutdown last fall.
Some Democrats have threatened a government shutdown after an ICE agent killed Renee Nicole Good while she apparently tried to ram him with her vehicle during a federal operation.
The incident sparked protests in Minneapolis and intensified political criticism of ICE operations. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he directed the state to prepare the National Guard while urging demonstrations to remain peaceful.
Tricia McLaughlin, spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, claimed the woman "weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them."
Local leaders disputed that account, pointing to bystander video that they said conflicts with the federal description of the moments before the shooting.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., condemned the shooting and said he would propose sweeping reforms to DHS, including requiring a warrant for arrests, banning masks during enforcement operations, and requiring the Border Patrol to remain at the border.
His proposal would also limit the use of guns by ICE when officers conduct civil matters.
"It's hard to imagine how Democrats are going to vote for a DHS bill that funds this level of illegality and violence without constraints," Murphy told Axios on Thursday. "There's gotta be some reasonable constraints."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has renewed calls to abolish ICE.
"I believe that ICE, an agency that was just formed in 2003 during the Patriot Act era, is a rogue agency that should not exist," Ocasio-Cortez said in a fundraising email obtained by Fox News Digital.
Added Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.: "We can't just keep authorizing money for these illegal killers. That's what they are, this rogue force."
Yet some top Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, both of New York, have declined to say whether they would slash funding for ICE in the aftermath of the shooting.
"We're focused right now on ... advancing the Affordable Care Act tax credits," Jeffries told reporters.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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