Senate Vote Fails; White House and Democrats Negotiate Split Funding Deal
Today: Homan Press Conference: Pledges Federal Agent Drawdown, Announces Cooperation DealFor the first time in American history, a government funding fight has erupted over federal agents killing citizens on domestic soil. The Senate voted 45-55 on January 29 to block a $1.2 trillion spending package after Democrats refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security's $64 billion budget following two fatal shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis within three weeks. With the January 30 midnight deadline hours away, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and White House officials are negotiating a deal to split DHS funding into a short-term continuing resolution while passing the other five bills, potentially averting a partial shutdown.
The standoff marks a collision between the Trump administration's largest-ever immigration enforcement operation and Democratic demands for ICE reforms. Schumer laid out three specific demands: ending roving patrols and tightening warrant rules, enforcing a uniform code of conduct, and requiring agents to wear body cameras and identification. Border czar Tom Homan announced January 29 that federal agents would draw down in Minneapolis if state officials provide jail access for undocumented immigrants, stating 'more agents in the jail means less agents in the street.' Seven Republicans joined all 47 Democrats in blocking the package, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledging 'there's a path to consider some of those things' regarding DHS reforms. The negotiations represent a dramatic shift from last year's shutdown, with Trump communicating directly with Schumer to find a compromise.
Fictional AI pastiche — not real quote.
"One wonders whether a government that cannot account for the lives it has taken possesses the moral authority to demand the funds with which to continue. The Constitution wisely granted Congress the power of the purse precisely for such moments when accountability must precede appropriation."
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ICE is the principal federal agency responsible for interior immigration enforcement, including detention and deportation operations.
CBP is the largest federal law enforcement agency, responsible for border security, customs, and immigration inspection at ports of entry.
DHS is the cabinet department responsible for counterterrorism, border security, immigration enforcement, and disaster response.
Border czar Tom Homan holds his first press conference as operational commander in Minneapolis, announcing plans for a federal agent drawdown contingent on state cooperation and vowing to remain 'until the problem is gone.' Homan reveals Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison agreed to notify ICE when local jails release 'violent illegal aliens.' Homan refuses to disclose current agent numbers but states unprofessional officers will be 'dealt with.'
Senate Majority Leader John Thune schedules a cloture vote for January 29 on the six-bill spending package including DHS funding. The vote requires 60 senators to advance but Democrats controlling 47 votes have pledged to block it. Late reports suggest White House may be open to separating DHS funding and passing it under a short-term continuing resolution to avert shutdown.
Senate votes 45-55 to block the six-bill spending package, with seven Republicans joining all 47 Democrats in opposition. The vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation.
President Trump communicates directly with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer about splitting DHS funding from the rest of the package. White House officials and Schumer work on a deal to remove DHS funding and replace it with a short-term continuing resolution. Negotiations focus on length: Republicans want up to six weeks, Democrats want one to two weeks.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer publicly details three specific demands for DHS funding: end roving patrols and tighten warrant rules for arrests; enforce a uniform code of conduct; and require agents to remove masks, carry identification, and wear body cameras.
Border czar Tom Homan announces in press conference that federal agents will shift from street operations to jail-based enforcement if Minnesota provides access to undocumented immigrants in state prisons and county jails. 'More agents in the jail means less agents in the street,' Homan states, explicitly saying he plans to 'draw down the number of people here.'
Senate Majority Leader John Thune states that while changes to the DHS bill won't happen as part of the current spending package, 'there's a path to consider some of those things' regarding Democratic reform demands down the road.
Commander Gregory Bovino leaves Minneapolis and returns to his previous position as chief of the El Centro, California sector. U.S. Customs and Border Protection begins reducing the number of agents in Minneapolis as Tom Homan assumes operational control.
Border czar Tom Homan meets with Mayor Jacob Frey to discuss de-escalation and next steps for federal immigration operations.
Border czar Tom Homan meets separately with Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey. All parties describe the meetings as a 'productive starting point' and agree to ongoing dialogue. Walz reports 'a tone shift' and lists three priorities: impartial investigations into the shootings, swift reduction in federal forces, and an end to retribution against Minnesota officials.
Minority Leader Schumer announces Democrats will not provide votes to advance the spending package if it includes DHS funding. Senator Patty Murray, a key appropriations negotiator, reverses her support.
Trump deploys border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis. Commander Gregory Bovino is relieved and returns to California. Some federal agents begin departing.
Senate Majority Leader Thune advances the full spending package despite Democratic opposition, refusing to split out DHS funding.
Border Patrol agents pepper-spray, wrestle to the ground, and shoot 37-year-old VA nurse Alex Pretti at least ten times. Video shows he was filming with his phone and never drew his legally owned firearm.
Hundreds of Minnesota businesses close for a statewide 'ICE Out' protest and strike. Around 100 clergy are arrested at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
The House passes a $1.2 trillion spending package including DHS funding, sending it to the Senate ahead of the January 30 deadline.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez orders federal agents not to retaliate against peaceful protesters and prohibits use of pepper spray as retaliation for protected speech.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis, and St. Paul file suit against the Trump administration seeking to halt Operation Metro Surge.
ICE agent Jonathan Ross shoots 37-year-old Renée Good three times in her vehicle in south Minneapolis. DHS claims self-defense; video contradicts their account. Good is an American citizen and mother of three.
Governor Tim Walz orders the Minnesota National Guard to a state of preparedness following Good's killing.
Individual plaintiffs and the ACLU of Minnesota file a class-action lawsuit alleging constitutional violations by federal agents in Operation Metro Surge.
DHS reports Operation Metro Surge has arrested 400 undocumented immigrants, claiming the arrests include violent offenders.
ICE launches what DHS calls 'the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out,' deploying up to 2,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Discussed by: NPR, CNN, CNBC political analysts
Neither side blinks before January 30. The government partially shuts down affecting the Pentagon, DHS, and other agencies—though ICE continues operating on its $75 billion supplemental funding. Republicans blame Democrats for endangering national security; Democrats blame Republicans for refusing to hold ICE accountable. The standoff extends for weeks as both sides dig in, similar to the 43-day shutdown of 2025.
Discussed by: The Hill, Roll Call congressional reporters
As the deadline approaches, Republicans agree to separate DHS funding and pass the other five bills to avoid shutting down 75% of discretionary spending. DHS operates on a short-term continuing resolution while negotiations continue. This requires Thune to reverse his stated position but avoids political blame for a shutdown.
Discussed by: Fox News, Deseret News political analysts
More moderate Democrats join Fetterman in voting for the package, either breaking with Schumer or negotiating minor concessions. Seven or more Democrats prioritize avoiding a shutdown over extracting ICE accountability measures, allowing the full package to pass before January 30.
Discussed by: Washington Post, ABC News analysts
The Trump administration's decision to remove Bovino and deploy Homan signals a willingness to change course. If federal agents significantly draw down in Minneapolis and the administration agrees to accountability measures—such as requiring body cameras or independent investigations—enough Democrats may vote for the package. Homan's meetings with local officials produce a framework both sides can accept.
U.S. Marshals and FBI agents besieged Randy Weaver's cabin in rural Idaho over a failure-to-appear warrant. An 11-day standoff resulted in the deaths of Weaver's 14-year-old son, his wife Vicki, and Deputy U.S. Marshal William Degan. FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi shot Vicki Weaver while she held her infant daughter.
Congressional hearings found the FBI's rules of engagement unconstitutional. The Justice Department paid Weaver's family $3.1 million.
The DOJ created its first unified deadly force policy for all federal law enforcement. Ruby Ridge became a rallying point for anti-government movements and directly motivated Timothy McVeigh.
Like Minneapolis, Ruby Ridge involved federal agents killing American citizens in circumstances that contradicted official accounts. The resulting policy reforms established the framework that critics say ICE is now violating.
Senator Ted Cruz led House Republicans to demand defunding the Affordable Care Act as a condition of passing spending bills. The resulting 16-day shutdown furloughed 800,000 federal workers. Cruz staged a 21-hour speech on the Senate floor.
Republicans received most of the blame in polls (39% vs. 19%). They eventually passed a spending bill without major changes to the health care law.
The strategy backfired politically but raised Cruz's national profile. It established that using shutdowns as leverage over policy disputes carries significant political risk for the initiating party.
Democrats are now employing a similar leverage strategy—refusing to fund a specific agency to force policy changes. The 2013 precedent suggests the party seen as causing the shutdown often pays a political price.
Ohio National Guard soldiers fired 67 rounds into a crowd of students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University, killing four and wounding nine. The students were unarmed. The Guard claimed they fired in self-defense after feeling threatened.
The shootings sparked a nationwide student strike involving 4 million students and closed hundreds of campuses. Nixon's approval rating dropped 6 points.
The incident galvanized anti-war sentiment and contributed to eventual U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam. No guardsmen were convicted, but the families received a $675,000 settlement.
Kent State established that government forces killing American citizens during protests—even when claiming self-defense—can rapidly shift public opinion and political momentum against the administration responsible.