Maine Senator Angus King has indicated he will not vote for a government funding bill that includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), citing concerns over the agency's actions in his state. Despite this, King believes that "we don't have to have a shutdown" and is calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to separate the DHS bill from the other five funding measures.
King's stance comes as lawmakers scramble to pass a package of funding bills before Friday, January 30, to avoid a partial government shutdown. The senator's decision not to support the bill that includes ICE funding could be a significant setback for Republicans, who have been trying to negotiate with Democrats on the issue.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has announced that Democrats will not provide enough votes to advance the funding package if it includes funds for DHS, citing concerns over ICE's actions in recent weeks. Schumer is urging Republicans to work with Democrats to pass the other five funding bills and overhaul ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to prevent further abuses.
The situation has been complicated by a series of disturbing events involving ICE in Minnesota. Last week, an immigration enforcement operation was launched in Maine, sparking concerns over the agency's actions in the state. The tragic shooting of a 37-year-old Minneapolis man by federal agents has also led to widespread outrage and calls for reform.
Despite the challenges ahead, King is confident that "there's an easy way out" of the funding fight. He argues that if the other five funding bills pass, with the DHS bill separated from them, it would be possible to pass a more comprehensive overhaul of ICE and CBP without disrupting the rest of the government.
King's stance comes as lawmakers scramble to pass a package of funding bills before Friday, January 30, to avoid a partial government shutdown. The senator's decision not to support the bill that includes ICE funding could be a significant setback for Republicans, who have been trying to negotiate with Democrats on the issue.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has announced that Democrats will not provide enough votes to advance the funding package if it includes funds for DHS, citing concerns over ICE's actions in recent weeks. Schumer is urging Republicans to work with Democrats to pass the other five funding bills and overhaul ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to prevent further abuses.
The situation has been complicated by a series of disturbing events involving ICE in Minnesota. Last week, an immigration enforcement operation was launched in Maine, sparking concerns over the agency's actions in the state. The tragic shooting of a 37-year-old Minneapolis man by federal agents has also led to widespread outrage and calls for reform.
Despite the challenges ahead, King is confident that "there's an easy way out" of the funding fight. He argues that if the other five funding bills pass, with the DHS bill separated from them, it would be possible to pass a more comprehensive overhaul of ICE and CBP without disrupting the rest of the government.
i mean, Angus King is literally speaking truth to power by not supporting that bill with ICE funding 
... but at the same time, he still thinks we don't have to have a shutdown? like, isn't that kinda contradictory? 
. it's all about making sure ICE doesn't get away with its shenanigans 
... and let's be real, those events in Minnesota and Maine have been super disturbing 
. fingers crossed they figure out a way to make this work without causing another shutdown 
. It's like, can't we just have one policy that works for everyone? The senator is right that we need to overhaul ICE and CBP, but it's not that simple. We need to consider all the different perspectives and find a solution that works for everyone. I don't think a government shutdown is necessarily the answer, though... I mean, who loses in that situation? 
. I mean, who wants to see their neighbors get shot by federal agents just because they're here undocumented? It's time for some real reform, not just a bunch of Band-Aid fixes 
. If the other five funding bills pass without the DHS bill attached, it could be a good starting point for fixing those problems, you know?
it's just not fair that people have to live in fear because of some outdated laws. i feel like Sen King is making a really smart move by pushing for separate bills, maybe they can actually make progress on reforming ICE without all this drama 
I mean, I get it, we need border control and all that, but the way they're doing it is so messed up 
. I'm from Minnesota btw 
, just saw that shooting in Minneapolis and it's still giving me nightmares 
, we don't wanna have a shutdown, that'd be bad for everyone 
. But at the same time, Schumer's right too 
, if Republicans are gonna make changes to ICE, they need to do it with Democrats, you know? It's all about compromise and finding common ground 
.
. Those agents in Maine just happened to shoot a guy who was just minding his own biz 
. Can't we just separate the $$ from the scary agents? 
) and get some reforms, it'll be less about the funding fight 
. It's like, if they don't want to fund ICE, maybe they can find another way to support law enforcement in Maine 
or try to reform them? 
anyway this could b big 4 republicans & democrats gotta work together on this one it's not easy but king's idea of passing other bills then overhaul ice sounds like a plan 
and idk what's up w/ice in minnesota but us needs reform ASAP 
I mean, isn't the idea of not voting for the bill because of the part that includes ICE just kinda basic? Like, how are you supposed to vote for something if it has something in it that you don't agree with? 
. It's crazy how one person's actions can affect so many lives. I mean, I get King's concerns about ICE's actions in his state, but at the same time, a shutdown would be devastating for everyone involved 
Can't we just focus on finding common ground here? 
. It's not like we don't know how ICE operates – they've been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately 
... And now, there's this guy in Minnesota who got shot by federal agents? Are you kidding me?! It's just so... senseless 
he's right we don't wanna have a shutdown that'd be super bad for everyone involved especially with all those disturbing events going on in Minnesota and Maine 
can you even imagine? 
let's get that done ASAP so we can move forward with a more comprehensive overhaul of ICE and CBP! 
. I also wonder if Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's stance on not providing enough votes for the DHS bill might be a bit too rigid, like he's already made up his mind without considering other options 
. it's crazy how much drama goes on behind the scenes of gov funding bills 
. And what's up with all these shutdowns? It's like we're stuck in some kind of bureaucratic loop 
. I'm not buying the "we don't have to have a shutdown" narrative 
meanwhile, republicans seem kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place 
Like, if they're not going to vote for the bill that includes ICE funds, why should they bother voting for a separate DHS bill? It just seems like more of the same 
. Like, it's not that easy, right? The whole government thing is all connected...