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DHS Funding Is Set to Lapse as Top Senate Republican Rejects Restrictions on Immigration Agents

HeadlineFeb 06, 2026

Senate leaders said Thursday they expect funding for the Department of Homeland Security to lapse at the end of next week, after Republican Majority Leader John Thune rejected demands by Democrats for new restrictions on federal immigration officers as “unrealistic.” Democrats had proposed 10 so-called guardrails against abuses by federal agents. The list includes an end to racial profiling; prohibiting agents from entering private property without a judicial warrant; requirements that agents wear body cameras and unique ID numbers; access to attorneys for those detained; and an end to raids near medical centers, schools, churches, polling places, courts and other sensitive sites. Without a deal by February 13, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection will no longer receive government funding, though officers would continue to work without pay, since they’re exempted from furloughs. Other agencies, including FEMA, the Coast Guard and the TSA, would also be affected. On Wednesday, the two top Democratic lawmakers — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — drew fire from their party’s base when they appeared to backtrack on a demand that federal agents should not cover their faces to conceal their identities.

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