President Donald Trump said Friday that negotiations with Senate Democrats over funding for the Department of Homeland Security are continuing, even as the agency faces a shutdown at midnight after the Senate left Washington without reaching a deal.
“We’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House en route to Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
Lawmakers from both parties have been locked in discussions for roughly a week, with talks expected to continue through the weekend. At the center of the impasse are Democratic demands for changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations — proposals Republicans have largely treated as nonstarters.
Democrats have pushed for tighter warrant requirements, the unmasking of ICE agents during immigration operations, and an end to roving patrols in cities and communities. Republicans have shown little appetite for conceding on those issues, viewing them as core elements of immigration enforcement and public safety.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., dismissed the White House’s latest offer on Thursday as “not serious, plain and simple,” signaling that significant differences remain between the two sides.
President Trump, for his part, declined to lay out specifics of the negotiations but said he understands what Democrats are seeking and what compromises may be possible.
“I know what they want. I know what they can live with,” Trump said, without elaborating.
At the same time, the president forcefully defended federal law enforcement officers, particularly ICE agents, who have been central to the dispute.
“You always have to protect our law enforcement. They’ve done a great job. Remember, they’ve taken out hundreds of thousands of criminals out of our country,” Trump said. “We have to protect our law enforcement. … [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] has done a phenomenal job.”
Trump also touted what he described as historic border security achievements under his administration.
“We have … a closed border for the first time in history,” he said, contrasting his approach with that of Democratic-led cities. “The Democrats have gone crazy. They’re radical left lunatics. That’s why their cities are so unsafe. The Blue cities are the cities that are unsafe.”
The standoff comes despite the fact that GOP and Democratic appropriators had previously reached agreement on a full-year funding deal for the Department of Homeland Security. That agreement unraveled after federal immigration agents fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis — an incident that spurred Democrats to pull back their support and revolt against the negotiated package.
With the Senate departing Washington without finalizing a measure, DHS now faces the prospect of a shutdown unless a breakthrough is reached. Negotiators are expected to remain engaged over the weekend in hopes of avoiding disruption at an agency responsible for border security, immigration enforcement, and other critical national security functions.
As the clock ticks down, the president struck a measured but firm tone, reiterating his support for law enforcement and signaling that while discussions are ongoing, certain priorities — particularly protecting ICE operations — remain firmly in place.
