ICE protests in Minnesota
ICE protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota Fibonacci Blue/Wikimedia Commons

The second fatal shooting by a federal agent in Minneapolis has further fuelled tensions between citizens and the federal officers deployed by the Department of Homeland Security. However, as hostilities intensify between federal agents and the city, the shooting of Alex Pretti has now increased the chances of a government shutdown as lawmakers are at odds over DHS funding.

The chances of a partial government shutdown have increased in Congress, with Democratic lawmakers opposing the funding measure for the agency that oversees the federal officers. They were initially close to completing funding work for the fiscal year 2026 this week after the House of Representatives passed the final four appropriations bills. However, the situation changed following Pretti's shooting on 24 January, with Democratic lawmakers one by one expressing their opposition to DHS funding.

Six-Bill Package Faces Opposition

The legislation to fund the DHS is tied to five other bills that would fund the Departments of Defence, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Labour, and Education. The other five bills have broad support from lawmakers in Congress. Now, Democratic lawmakers are coming out against the 'minibus' of bills as long as the DHS funding portion is included.

An insider told The Hill that Senate Democrats are set to gather for a call on Sunday to figure out how to proceed. 'I hate shutdowns...but I can't vote for a bill that includes ICE funding under these circumstances,' Independent Senator Angus King of Maine told CBS 'Face the Nation' on Sunday. 'Take up DHS by itself. Let's have an honest negotiation. Put some guardrails on what's going on, some accountability and that would solve the problem. We don't have to have a shutdown.'

Key Democrats Oppose DHS Funding

King's comments follow recent statements of opposition from a few key Democrats in the Senate who have said they will not vote for any funding package that includes the DHS. This includes Senators Dick Durbin, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Tim Kaine, who expressed his opposition on Friday morning before Pretti's shooting occurred.

Durbin, Cortez Masto, and Kaine were part of the eight Democrats who previously joined the Republicans in ending the government shutdown, as well as King. Now, the four of them have come out against the funding packages that would include the DHS. 'The Trump administration and Kristi Noem are putting undertrained, combative federal agents on the streets with no accountability. They are oppressing Americans and are at odds with local law enforcement,' Cortez Masto said in a statement. 'This is clearly not about keeping Americans safe, it's brutalising US citizens and law-abiding immigrants.'

'I will not support the current Homeland Security funding bill,' Cortez Masto continued. 'We have bipartisan agreement on 96 per cent of the budget. We've already passed six funding bills. Let's pass the remaining five bipartisan bills and fund essential agencies while we continue to fight for a Department of Homeland Security that respects Americans' constitutional rights and preserves federal law enforcement's essential role to keep us safe.'

Joining them was Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who announced on Saturday that his party 'will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill' that included the DHS.

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