Senate

Eric Boehm | 1.26.2026 12:00 PM

After federal immigration agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, in Minneapolis on Saturday, Senate Democrats say they will block a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which includes appropriations for the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

That doesn't need to be a bipartisan effort—the bill will not clear the Senate's 60-vote threshold without some Democrats supporting it—but it ought to be. Members of Congress from both parties should recognize the political and moral imperative here, and they should demand changes in both policy and leadership.

The funding bill provides a timely bit of leverage for Congress. Government funding will lapse on Friday unless a series of appropriations bills are signed into law before then. Funding for DHS is included in a so-called "minibus" bill that also funds several other departments.

Hours after Pretti was killed, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) said Democrats "will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included." Democrats hope to strip the DHS funding from the broader appropriations bill so that other parts of the government can be funded and a shutdown would affect only DHS. Though of course, Republicans could refuse to allow the bills to be separated and force Democrats to block the entire package.

So far, few Republican senators have indicated where they stand. Sen. Thom Tillis (R–N.C.) put out a statement on Sunday calling for a "thorough and........

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