Democrats have scored wins in DHS fight — but are holding out for more

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem was fired. Greg Bovino, a top Border Patrol officer, is reportedly retiring. President Trump’s deportation surge in Minneapolis has ended. And the White House has offered some new rules to limit the conduct of federal immigration officers around the country. 

In the protracted battle over DHS funding, Democrats have secured some key wins in recent weeks. But amid pressure from base voters, they’re holding out for more.

Democrats have defended that position, noting their central demand — that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) follow the same rules as other law enforcement agencies — has not been met. 

“We’ve had some good victories,” said Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), “but I think the ultimate goal is to make sure that all the reforms get done.”

But the strategy carries risks, as DHS workers deemed “essential” have gone without pay for more than a month during the budget impasse, including emergency personnel under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and airport screeners with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). 

The pay freeze has created enormous headaches for airline travelers, who are facing long lines and prolonged delays, putting pressure on lawmakers in both parties to cut a deal. Republicans, meanwhile, are accusing Democrats of threatening national security by opposing DHS funding during the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran.

“They want to defund the police,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Thursday. “And this time, it’s the people that keep the borders closed and keep our community safe and deport these dangerous people out of our country.”

Democrats remain unmoved. They say their constituents are making clear they want the party to go to the mats to secure new guardrails on ICE and CBP, an effort that was sparked by the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of immigration officers in Minneapolis in January. When they go home,........

© The Hill