Democrats demand ICE reforms after fatal shootings in Minnesota 

Two recent fatal shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota have jolted Capitol Hill, turning what had been a routine budget deadline into a flashpoint over agent accountability and federal power. 

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday demanded major changes in how ICE operates and accountability for those involved in the shootings. 

Ordinarily, that kind of demand wouldn’t go very far. Democrats are in the minority in the Senate, and they can’t force policy changes on their own.  

But funding for several federal agencies – including the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE – runs out this week. The government will partially shut down unless the Senate passes the required spending bills. Senate Republicans will need some Democrats’ help to reach the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster and pass the bills. 

That’s why Senate Democrats’ ICE demands matter right now. Here’s what ICE is doing on the ground, and how it’s resonating in Washington. 

What Is ICE Doing?  

During the 2024 campaign, President Trump pledged that, if re-elected, he would conduct the largest deportation of unauthorized immigrants in U.S. history.  

ICE is responsible for carrying out that promise. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE carried out 675,000 deportations in President Trump’s first year back in office, which would easily break pre-Covid records (“Title 42” expulsions during the pandemic inflated the numbers for later years, but those largely amounted to turning people away at the border rather than true deportations). 

ICE also has about 70,000 migrants in detention across the country, according to NBC News, which is a record high. And DHS says illegal border crossings are at an all-time low, with average monthly encounters down 37% compared to the Biden administration. 

ICE has accomplished this by moving beyond traditional enforcement methods. The agency used to rely on more bureaucratic methods for most deportations, like “jail transfers,” which is when someone is arrested for a crime and then turned over to ICE when local police realize the criminal is an unauthorized immigrant. 

While they still use the traditional methods, ICE is ramping up “at-large” arrests – tracking down and arresting unauthorized immigrants out and about instead of waiting for them to commit a crime and get arrested. A Washington Post analysis found the Trump administration conducting record levels of at-large arrests, more than double the mark set by President Biden. So far, about 20% of ICE deportations have come from at-large arrests. 

Some cities have been more impacted than others. President Trump has singled out certain cities – including New Orleans, Chicago, and most recently Minneapolis – for high-visibility deployments of hundreds or even thousands of federal agents to carry out immigration crackdowns.  

In these operations, ICE’s tactics look more like street policing: conducting home arrests, stopping people in vehicles, and even apprehending people in the streets.  

ICE agents are allowed to make at-large arrests without a warrant. They still need a warrant to enter a home or other private establishment, but in public, ICE agents can stop and arrest anyone they suspect of being in the U.S. illegally. 

In the first nine months of 2025, ProPublica identified 170 American citizens who were arrested by ICE, including some who were held in immigration detention for weeks before being let go. 

Schumer’s ICE Demands 

Senate Democrats, like the majority of Americans, believe ICE’s tactics have recently gone too far. Leader Schumer laid out what he calls “commonsense and necessary” reforms the agency must make before Senate Democrats will vote for a funding bill to avoid a partial government shutdown. 

Lawmakers are still working on the fine print, but Leader Schumer called for: 

• Masks off, body cameras on. Some ICE agents have been criticized recently for wearing masks that hide their faces, making it difficult to hold agents accountable for misconduct. And some agents wear body cameras, but there is no requirement for all ICE agents to use them. 

• End “roving patrols.” Democrats want ICE to only deport migrants who are arrested for committing a crime or have a deportation order from a judge, instead of stopping and questioning suspected migrants in the streets. 

• Code of conduct and independent investigations.  Democrats want ICE to reform its use-of-force policies so that federal agents are bound by the same rules as local police officers. And they want independent investigations into ICE’s misconduct, not just internal reviews.  

Democratic leaders have not been calling to defund ICE, like some on the left flank have called for. They are instead looking for improved transparency and accountability for officers, and to prioritize deporting criminals instead of law-abiding immigrants. 

Republicans Respond Schumer’s ICE Demands 

Republicans in Congress and the White House were quick to pour cold water on Leader Schumer’s proposal, but they might be changing their tune.  

Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio, argued that ICE agents “would be happy not to wear masks” if they weren’t being doxxed and weren’t being harassed and didn’t have their families under attack.”  

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, a victim of doxxing and violent threats, echoed Sen. Moreno’s concern for ICE agents’ safety. According to the Department of Homeland Security, death threats against ICE agents are up 8,000% this year while assaults are up 1,300%. 

Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican and policy chair of the far-right Freedom Caucus, suggested he would have his own counterproposals if Senate Republicans went along with Leader Schumer’s demands. To avoid a shutdown, the House would have to agree to any new legislation the Senate passes; Rep. Roy and the Freedom Caucus have more than enough votes to kill any such deal in the House. 

An unnamed Trump official initially rejected Leader Schumer’s proposals. “A demand for agreement on legislative reforms as a condition of funding the Department of Homeland Security with a government funding deadline just 48 hours away is a demand for a partial government shutdown,” the official said.  

But later reporting – again from unnamed White House sources – revealed the President wants to make a deal and is working with Leader Schumer.  

Somehow, they will have to find agreement. If not, we’re headed for a partial government shutdown. Here’s what that would look like: