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The Senate Democrats and the White House reached an agreement to prevent a partial shutdown of the federal government, separating funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from a broader spending package.
The plan, according to the document reviewed by The Associated Press, aims to fund most of the government until September, while extending funding for DHS by two weeks to continue negotiating new restrictions on President Donald Trump's immigration policy and the actions of ICE.
However, the approval was delayed on Thursday night as legislative leaders were trying to gather enough votes before the Friday midnight deadline, amid resistance from both parties.
According to the information in the document, the White House agreed to separate the funding for National Security from the broader spending project.
On the other hand, they agreed to keep DHS funded for two weeks while Democrats and Republicans debate the conditions demanded by the Democratic Party to restrict federal immigration operations.
The agreement instructs to secure funding for "the vast majority of the Government" until September, under a bipartisan voting scheme, according to Trump himself.
Trump stated on social media that Republicans and Democrats "have come together" to keep government funding until September and urged lawmakers for a "bipartisan vote" in favor.
Shortly before midnight on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged that "obstacles on both sides" persisted as he sought to garner support alongside Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
Among the Republicans who spoke out against it was Senator Lindsey Graham, who stated that ICE agents were being treated unfairly.
Why did the negotiations become tense?
The document places the bipartisan discussions within the context of political turmoil following the death of demonstrators at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.
The shooting over the weekend against Alex Pretti (37 years old) in Minnesota is specifically mentioned, along with the pressure from lawmakers of both parties for an investigation.
Schumer described the moment as "the moment of truth" and stated that the public supports border security, but not for ICE to "terrorize" the streets and kill American citizens.
What do the democrats demand?
According to the text, the Democrats are requesting explicit conditions to limit federal immigration operations, including ending “roving patrols” in cities, coordinating with local law enforcement for arrests, implementing stricter rules for arrest warrants, and establishing a code of conduct to ensure accountability when agents violate standards.
Among other requests, they are asking for measures such as having the agents "remove their masks," use body cameras, and wear proper identification.
Democratic Senator Tina Smith (Minnesota) supported the call for accountability: “there has to be accountability,” the document states.
The text states that Tom Homan, Trump's "border czar," said at a press conference in Minneapolis that a plan is being developed to reduce the number of agents in Minnesota, although this would depend on the cooperation of state authorities.
The document itself warns that negotiations for a definitive agreement on the DHS bill “are likely to be difficult.” A segment of the Democrats is even proposing to block the agency if there are no reforms; however, it is considered unlikely that the Republicans will agree to all the demands.
The dispute threatened to plunge the country into another shutdown, following a recent one that lasted 43 days due to a clash between Democrats and Republicans over federal health subsidies.
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