Senate Democrats push the government to the brink of a new shutdown after deadly immigration operation in Minneapolis

The Senate Democratic minority leader, Chuck Schumer, signaled Saturday that his upper chamber bench would be preparing to abandon a preliminary deal that had kept the federal government on track to avoid a partial shutdown following the shooting death of a man in Minneapolis by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during daylight hours. Democratic lawmakers were already uncomfortable with the prospect of supporting funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), especially amid the agency's expansion of immigration enforcement operations both in Minnesota and in other states across the country. Such unease appears to have reached a point of no return following the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.

Following the incident, Schumer indicated that his Senate caucus plans to vote against the legislation which is currently included in a larger budget appropriations package encompassing five other spending initiatives. In a statement, Schumer claimed that Democrats attempted to incorporate what he called "common sense reforms" into the DHS bill. However, he blamed Republicans for blocking those efforts, arguing that "because of Republicans' refusal to stand up to President Donald Trump, the DHS funding bill is woefully inadequate to curb abuses" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "I will vote no. Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included," Schumer said.

High risk

The move represents a setback for Senate Republicans, who had worked with Democrats to reach compromises, especially on DHS funding. It also comes at a delicate time, with the deadline to keep the government funded fast approaching on Friday, Jan. 30, andthe severe winter storm Fern sweeping the country and even forcing the Senate to cancel votes scheduled for Monday.

Removing the DHS bill from the six-pack budget package would cause a number of procedural complications, as any changes would have to be approved again by the House of Representatives. However, the House is not scheduled to resume sessions until Feb. 2, significantly increasing the risk of a partial government shutdown.