Washington — Updated Feb. 4, 2026 / CBS News
Democratic leaders on Wednesday outlined demands for funding the Department of Homeland Security beyond next week, reiterating policy proposals to rein in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices — some already rejected by Republicans.
“Taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, not to brutalize or kill them,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a Capitol news conference. “ICE is completely and totally out of control, immigration enforcement should be just, it should be fair, and it should be humane. That is not what is taking place right now.”
Jeffries, joined by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democratic leaders, said “dramatic changes” are necessary at DHS, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. The House approved a funding package Tuesday that funded most of the government through September and extended DHS funding through Feb. 13. Lawmakers must now reach an agreement on long-term DHS funding or pass another short-term extension.
Schumer and Jeffries released a list of “guardrails” they want Congress to place on DHS. Proposals include restricting immigration agents from wearing masks, requiring body cameras and visible identification, and standardizing uniforms to avoid a “paramilitary” appearance. They also seek bans on agents entering private property without judicial warrants; conducting operations near sensitive sites like schools and churches; detaining people without first verifying they are not U.S. citizens; and targeting searches based on race, language, accent or job.
Democrats want a “reasonable use of force” policy, permission for state law enforcement agencies to investigate alleged federal excessive force incidents, and approval from state and local governments before DHS conducts “large-scale operations.” They also called for protections ensuring lawyers and members of Congress can access immigration detention facilities.
“These are just some of the common-sense proposals that the American people clearly would like to see in terms of the dramatic changes that are needed at the Department of Homeland Security before there’s a full-year appropriations bill,” Jeffries said. Schumer said House and Senate Democrats are “on the same page” and expected to release legislation detailing the demands within 24 hours. “We’re united with the American people, we’re united as House and Senate Democrats,” he said. “We’re going to have tough, strong legislation… And then we want our Republican colleagues to finally get serious about this.”
Republicans have signaled openness to some proposals, such as body cameras and ending roving patrols, while rejecting others. Senate Majority Leader John Thune warned that striking a deal and passing it through both chambers before the deadline is an “impossibility.” Democratic leaders have suggested they will oppose another DHS funding extension, making a partial shutdown likely; ICE and CBP would continue operations because they received additional funds in last year’s omnibus bill.