Congressional Democrats Seek New Limits For DHS: ‘The Occupation of American Cities Must End’

Democratic leaders in Congress are pushing for new limits on federal immigration enforcement, arguing that recent operations by the Department of Homeland Security have crossed a line and must be restrained, even as party leaders work to avoid a government shutdown which was averted temporarily with a deal on Thursday.

The push follows the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, by federal agents in Minneapolis this month, incidents that have elevated immigration enforcement to the top of Washington’s agenda. While Senate and House Democratic leaders say they are united in seeking new guardrails on DHS, differences have emerged over how far those restrictions should go, as The Hill explains.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has proposed a narrow set of changes aimed at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, including banning roving patrols, expanding warrant requirements, adopting a universal code of conduct, and requiring body cameras while prohibiting masks during operations.

“These are commonsense reforms,” Schumer said, adding that Republicans who oppose them are “choosing chaos over order.”

House Democrats, particularly progressives, are pressing for broader measures. Reps. Brad Schneider of Illinois and Greg Casar of Texas said in a joint statement that “the occupation of American cities by its own government must end,” calling for reforms to stop “masked, armed agents from wreaking havoc in our communities.”

Several House caucuses have demanded an immediate halt to ICE and CBP operations in Minnesota, a ban on detaining U.S. citizens, restrictions on military-grade equipment, and limits on arrests at sensitive locations such as churches and hospitals.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Schumer’s proposals but also said House Democrats want explicit language barring the detention and deportation of American citizens. “That shouldn’t even be a discussion,” Jeffries said, calling such actions inconsistent with the Constitution.

Senate Democrats reached a deal late Thursday to temporarily fund DHS for two weeks, buying time to negotiate enforcement restrictions while funding most other federal agencies through September. Schumer said the extension was necessary because the DHS bill “still needs a lot of work.”

The enforcement crackdown has also fueled calls for the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Jeffries and other top House Democrats have said Noem should be fired or face impeachment, citing her handling of the Minneapolis shootings. President Donald Trump has defended Noem and said he has confidence in her leadership.

House Democrats acknowledge that opposing DHS funding carries political risks, but many say the issue is unavoidable. “Senate Democrats must continue to stand strong and refuse to send DHS and ICE another dime as they terrorize our communities,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal wrote on X.

Originally published on Latin Times