Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Sunday that congressional Democrats will oppose a government funding package if it includes billions of dollars for the Department of Homeland Security, a move that sharply raises the risk of a partial government shutdown at the end of the month.
Schumer’s declaration came in response to a fatal shooting in Minneapolis, where 37-year-old protester Alex Pretti was killed by Border Patrol agents on Saturday. In a statement Schumer called the incident “appalling” and said Democrats would refuse to advance an appropriations bill that includes DHS funding.
“What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling — and unacceptable in any American city,” Schumer said. “Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.”
The funding package in question includes $64.4 billion for DHS, according to The New York Times, with $10 billion allocated specifically to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Because Senate rules require 60 votes to advance the legislation, Republican lawmakers need at least some Democratic support to move the bill forward.
Schumer’s threat came just hours after the shooting of Pretti, which immediately became a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement and federal law enforcement operations. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti was interfering with an operation to arrest a violent illegal immigrant when agents fired what she described as defensive shots.
Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino offered a more detailed account during a separate press conference, saying Pretti approached agents while armed with a 9 mm handgun and appeared intent on carrying out a mass attack against officers. Bovino said agents acted to protect themselves and others at the scene.
Pretti’s family strongly disputed those claims, accusing federal officials of spreading “sickening lies” about the circumstances of his death. Critics also seized on video footage of the shooting, arguing it contradicted the official account. CNN anchor Jake Tapper posted the video on X and questioned whether it supported DHS’s version of events, asking viewers, “Is that what you see?”
The incident quickly became political ammunition as Democrats escalated their criticism of DHS and ICE. Schumer said Democrats have repeatedly sought what he called “common sense reforms” to DHS funding but accused Republicans of blocking those efforts and refusing to challenge President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.
“The DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE,” Schumer said, adding that he would vote against the funding package.
Several other Senate Democrats signaled they would follow Schumer’s lead. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia both indicated opposition to the bill. Warner took to social media to frame his stance in stark terms.
“I cannot and will not vote to fund DHS while this administration continues these violent federal takeovers of our cities,” Warner wrote on X.
Republicans argue that blocking DHS funding over a single incident undermines border security and law enforcement nationwide. They also warn that Democrats’ refusal to negotiate could force a partial government shutdown, disrupting essential services and operations.
The vote on the funding package is scheduled for next week, setting up a high-stakes showdown in the Senate. With Democrats drawing a hard line against DHS funding and Republicans insisting on full support for immigration enforcement agencies, the impasse threatens to spill into a broader fiscal crisis as the deadline approaches.
