Congress and DHS Funding Fights

Axios reports that left‑wing Democrats and progressive candidates are openly urging party leaders to let the Department of Homeland Security shut down rather than agree to another short‑term funding deal that keeps Immigration and Customs Enforcement fully financed without major reforms. With DHS cash set to run out Friday under last week’s stopgap, figures like Rep. Delia Ramirez and Sen. Bernie Sanders say Democrats must stop "giving away" their leverage and instead use the threat of a shutdown to force curbs on ICE and Border Patrol after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renée Good in Minneapolis. Progressive House candidates in states including New Jersey, Illinois, California, North Carolina and Utah tell Axios they view recent bipartisan votes to keep the broader government open as a "surrender" that squandered their only real power to cut or condition ICE’s $175 billion budget and, in some cases, they are calling for abolishing ICE outright. Many of them also argue that the 10‑point ICE reform framework floated by Minority Leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer is too modest or redundant and risks normalizing the administration’s failure to follow existing law. As of Tuesday night, Axios says DHS still appears on the brink of a shutdown, with several Democrats who backed the last funding deal now vowing not to do so again absent "meaningful" enforcement changes.