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Congressional negotiators from both parties released a sprawling bipartisan funding package Tuesday intended to keep the federal government open ahead of a Jan. 30 shutdown deadline, but provisions related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement are already threatening to fracture Democratic support in both chambers.
The 1,059-page measure would fully fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, covering the Pentagon and the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security. Its passage would reduce the risk of another funding lapse following last fall’s longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
The Homeland Security portion of the bill, however, is emerging as a flashpoint after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis earlier this month — an incident that intensified Democratic demands for structural reforms to the agency.
“There should absolutely be reforms to ICE,” Rep. Ted Lieu of California, the No. 4 House Democrat, told NBC News last week. “And if there aren’t reforms, I’m going to be a hard no on that bill, the DHS bill.”
ICE Funding Draws Fire
Under the agreement, ICE funding would remain essentially flat at roughly $10 billion for the remainder of the fiscal year, even as the agency has already received an additional $75 billion for detention and enforcement through President Trump’s sweeping domestic policy package, known as the “big beautiful bill.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, acknowledged the bill does not include sweeping reforms sought by many in her party but endorsed the overall package as necessary to prevent a shutdown.
“This bill prevents a partial government shutdown and includes critical Democratic priorities,” DeLauro said in a statement, while conceding that broader efforts to rein in ICE were left out.
The legislation includes $20 million for the procurement and deployment of body-worn cameras for ICE agents and urges the Department of Homeland Security to develop a uniform policy ensuring federal officers are clearly identifiable during enforcement operations.
DeLauro said the bill also cuts $115 million from ICE enforcement and removal operations and reduces detention capacity by 5,500 beds.
Separate Vote on DHS Planned
House leaders are expected to bring the package to the floor later this week. DeLauro said Republican leadership has agreed to allow a separate vote on the Homeland Security title, giving Democrats an opportunity to oppose ICE funding without pushing the government closer to a shutdown.
“I understand that many of my Democratic colleagues may be dissatisfied with any bill that funds ICE,” DeLauro said. “I share their frustration with the out-of-control agency.”
Democrats had pushed for measures requiring ICE agents to wear visible identification, banning the use of masks during enforcement actions, and preventing the detention or deportation of U.S. citizens.
“The Homeland Security funding bill is more than just ICE,” DeLauro added, warning that a funding lapse would force TSA agents to work without pay and could delay FEMA assistance and disrupt Coast Guard operations.
Senate Math Complicates Passage
The House has now passed eight of the 12 annual appropriations bills. Completion of this package would finish the chamber’s funding work more than four months into the fiscal year.
The Senate, which returns to Washington next week, has passed six of the 12 bills. Avoiding a partial shutdown beginning Jan. 31 will require 60 votes, meaning Republicans — who hold 53 seats — will need Democratic support.
That support is far from assured.
“We cannot vote for anything that actually adds more money and doesn’t constrain ICE,” Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona said Sunday on CNN. He suggested Democrats could be willing to shut down ICE operations while keeping the rest of the government funded.
“We cannot keep funding this type of goon squads that are just spreading throughout the whole country,” Gallego said, accusing the administration of using ICE to target Democratic-led cities.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said he would not vote to provide “one dime” to ICE without “significant reforms,” citing a recent federal court ruling that found ICE agents violated constitutional rights during enforcement actions.
“There has to be dramatic change,” Van Hollen said on ABC. “I don’t foresee this administration doing that at this moment.”
Health Care Provisions Included
Beyond government funding, the bipartisan package also includes a set of health care provisions backed by lawmakers in both parties, including increased oversight of pharmacy benefit managers, the intermediaries that negotiate prescription drug coverage.
Unlike the House, where Republicans could potentially pass the Homeland Security funding on their own, the Senate’s procedural rules give Democrats leverage — and make the fate of the ICE provisions central to whether Congress can avert another shutdown.
