by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News) – The partial government shutdown stretched into its 39th day Tuesday as Senate Democrats rejected a Republican-backed plan to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, drawing sharp criticism from conservatives who argue politics is being placed ahead of national security.
The proposal, approved by President Donald Trump, would fund most DHS operations while maintaining resources for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a key agency tasked with enforcing U.S. immigration laws. However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would oppose the measure, insisting on new restrictions targeting ICE.
Democrats are preparing a counteroffer that would limit ICE’s authority, including requiring agents to obtain judicial warrants before entering private homes—moves critics say could significantly hinder law enforcement operations.
“We have to rein in ICE,” Schumer said, emphasizing his party’s push for sweeping reforms.
Republicans have pushed back, arguing that ICE officers are carrying out lawful duties to protect American communities and uphold immigration laws passed by Congress. They warn that tying funding for national security agencies to policy demands risks prolonging the shutdown and weakening border enforcement at a critical time.
The standoff follows heightened scrutiny of ICE after incidents in Minneapolis, which Democrats have used to justify broader reforms. Conservatives, however, contend that isolated incidents should not be used to undermine an agency responsible for combating illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug smuggling.
Sen. Patty Murray reiterated that Democrats will not support funding for ICE or Customs and Border Protection without enforceable restrictions, further complicating negotiations.
Republicans maintain that reopening DHS should be a priority and should not be held hostage to broader immigration policy debates. With neither side backing down, the impasse shows no immediate signs of resolution, leaving key homeland security operations caught in the political crossfire.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is preparing for the possibility that an emerging U.S.-Iran agreement could pressure Jerusalem to limit its military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, even as Israeli leaders insist the country must retain freedom of action against threats along its northern border.
Ukraine’s Pentecost Sunday was overshadowed by mourning after Russia used its hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile in one of the heaviest assaults on Kyiv and surrounding regions since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, killing at least four people and injuring about 100 others, officials said Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that President Donald Trump agreed any final agreement with Iran must dismantle Tehran’s nuclear enrichment sites and remove enriched nuclear material from Iranian territory, as Israeli defense officials voiced growing alarm over the emerging U.S.-backed diplomatic framework.
Iran has denied agreeing to surrender any of its enriched uranium stockpile under a proposed U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework, raising fresh questions over whether a broader peace deal can survive its most difficult issues: Tehran’s nuclear program, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s continued support for Hezbollah.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that his administration is in “no hurry” to finalize an end-of-war agreement with Iran, signaling caution after earlier indications that Washington and Tehran were nearing a framework deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and preserve a fragile cease-fire.
More than half of the federal budget will go toward benefits for Americans 65 years and older by 2036, and that percentage is set to only grow, a recent congressional report finds.
Two people were shot, including the suspected gunman, in a shooting outside the White House Saturday night.