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Senator John Fetterman has expressed pessimism about Congress reaching a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) before the Friday deadline, setting the stage for a partial government shutdown.
"I absolutely would expect that it's going to shut down," the Pennsylvania Democrat said Sunday during an appearance on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" with host Maria Bartiromo. "We, the Democrats, we provided ten kinds of basic things, and then the Republicans pushed back quickly saying that's a Christmas wish list, and that they're nonstarters," Fetterman told Fox News.
DHS funding is set to expire Friday (February 13) after lawmakers previously agreed to a two-week extension to buy more time for negotiations. The standoff centers on Democrats' demands for reforms to immigration enforcement operations following recent controversies, including the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis last month.
Democratic leaders outlined ten "guardrails" they want included in the DHS funding bill, such as requiring judicial warrants for entering private property, mandating body cameras, prohibiting officers from wearing masks, and keeping agents away from "sensitive locations" like schools and churches. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also called for removing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
Republicans have rejected most of these demands as "non-starters," particularly opposing the unmasking of agents, which they argue is necessary to protect officers from harassment and threats.
"The reason that ICE agents wear masks is to protect their own identities and protect their own families," House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a recent interview.
Republicans are pushing their own priorities, including ending "sanctuary city" policies they claim undermine cooperation between local and federal authorities.
A DHS shutdown would impact numerous critical agencies beyond immigration enforcement, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Coast Guard, and Secret Service.
Fetterman acknowledged these broader implications in his interview. "I think every American deserves to be paid for the work that they've done... That's real lives, and they're not wealthy if they're TSA folks. They're allowing us to fly safe here in America, and that's part of that conversation now too," he said on Sunday.
With just days remaining before the deadline, Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed doubt about reaching an agreement, saying, "We've got a one-week-and-one-day time frame in which to do this, which is entirely unrealistic."
The heads of three major federal immigration agencies are scheduled to testify before congressional committees this week, which may further intensify the political debate surrounding immigration enforcement and DHS funding.