Senate Democrats are closing in on a deal with the White House to implement sweeping reforms to how federal immigration officers operate while also avoiding a long-term shutdown that could take effect this weekend.
The Senate will vote on Thursday morning to advance the final spending package of the 2026 fiscal year, funding the departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Transportation, among other things. If it passes, it opens the door for party leaders to finalize a framework with stricter requirements for immigration officers after a fatal shooting in Minneapolis last weekend.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters ahead of the vote he hadn’t gotten any indication from Democrats what their plan is, but said it was his expectation the vote would “go forward.”
The deal being negotiated between Democratic leaders and top Trump administration officials would strip the DHS portion from the funding package and replace it with a short-term extension of current spending levels until the reform framework is finished. That would buy lawmakers time to negotiate new limits for immigration officers while avoiding a shutdown on the dozens of other departments and federal agencies.
Detaching the Homeland Security portion would be a significant reversal from the White House after senior officials said on Wednesday they wanted the six-bill package to go through as-is. Thune on Thursday declined to say whether he had gotten confirmation from the president he explicitly supports that, but he is “hopeful” they are close to a deal.
“I’ll let the White House speak for themselves, but there have been very constructive discussions and conversations I’ve been a part of,” Thune said.
What changes do Democrats want to see with ICE?
The compromise is not yet final, and details of how long the temporary extension would last are not yet clear. But it comes after Senate Democrats released a list of three demands on Wednesday to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Those demands include tightened rules on requiring warrants for arrests; prohibiting agents from wearing masks and requiring them to wear body cameras and identification; and implementing a universal code of conduct for use-of-force policies that reflect what is required by state and local law enforcement officials.
Those demands are likely to be changed as negotiations continue in order to get Republicans on board, but the list offered a starting point for bipartisan talks this week.
Still, there are obstacles that remain.
Due to procedural rules in the Senate, it’s not clear how quickly party leaders could get an adjusted spending package through the chamber ahead of the shutdown deadline. Federal funding is scheduled to lapse at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
Even if the Senate can approve the updated package, it would need to go back to the House for approval before it can be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk. The House is not scheduled to return until Monday, and weather conditions in Washington could prevent them from returning early this weekend.
House GOP leadership will hold a call Thursday afternoon to discuss a path forward. There are currently no plans to bring lawmakers back early, a source familiar with the schedule told the Deseret News.