Democrats seek limits on $75 billion ICE windfall as government funding deadline nears

When Republicans pushed President Trump’s domestic policy bill through Congress last year, they gave the Department of Homeland Security a sweeping funding boost that included $75 billion earmarked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Democrats are now trying to add limits as a government funding deadline approaches, The New York Times reported on Jan.

28, 2026. The reconciliation measure allocated about $190 billion over four years to DHS programs, including roughly $75 billion to ICE, making it the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency. Republicans used a special maneuver to pass the bill on a simple majority vote, leaving no Democratic votes and, Democrats say, effectively no strings attached.

Democrats are threatening not to vote for a spending package needed to fund the government past Friday — a step that would trigger a partial shutdown starting Saturday — unless Republicans agree to add constraints on how the homeland security funds are used. “I will vote no on any legislation that funds ICE until it is reined in and overhauled,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, and Senator Christopher S.

Murphy described the earlier allocation as loading ICE “up with money with absolutely no restrictions.” Some Republicans have signaled openness to discussing guardrails after two shootings this month in Minneapolis and other concerns about the agency’s spending.

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