Senate DHS Funding Deal Stalls; Democrats Demand ICE Accountability Guardrails

Talks to fund the Department of Homeland Security intensified on March 24 but remained stalled as airport wait times continued to be unpredictable. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats sent a counterproposal requiring ICE agents to wear identification and body cameras, boosting training standards, and restricting enforcement in sensitive locations. Senate Republicans offered a framework funding 94% of the DHS budget while withholding $5.5 billion for ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations arm. A test vote on advancing the funding bill failed in the Senate. The DHS shutdown was originally triggered after DHS law enforcement fatally shot Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis nurse, on January 24, 2026.