For the second time in weeks, a stunning development spurred by the Trump administration is bringing upheaval to Capitol Hill — and could spark another government shutdown.
To start 2026, it was the raid in Venezuela that prompted a sudden debate about President Donald Trump’s war powers. On Saturday, the killing of Minnesota nurse Alex Pretti by border patrol officers appears likely to derail a carefully choreographed plan to fund the government before a Jan. 30 deadline.
As a result, a partial federal government shutdown that appeared almost unimaginable days ago now appears to be a strong possibility. More broadly, Trump’s consistent aggression — toward Venezuela, Greenland, and now protesters — is raising tensions in Congress to new heights, mirroring the fury unfolding in American streets.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Senate Democrats are digging in against a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that was expected to pass this week as part of the final package of appropriations for this fiscal year.
The fate of that bill and the larger package is now deeply uncertain, and some potential Democratic deal-makers are outraged.
“I’m not voting for that,” Sen.
A Fresh Funding Fight
Democrats were already wary of voting to give more money to the department that oversees the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The killing of Pretti has turned that wariness into ferocious opposition.
Democrats say they want new restrictions on ICE and a full investigation into the shooting.
Even Sen.
“Federal agents cannot murder people in broad daylight and face zero consequences,” Murray, hardly a political firebrand, wrote on X. “I will NOT support the DHS bill as it stands.”
She called for the DHS bill to be separated from the rest of the package, and Sen.
But doing so would create new delays. There would have to be a vote to break off the DHS measure, and it’s unclear if enough senators support the idea. Even if there are, it would consume floor time that’s already in short supply, with senators not scheduled back in Washington until Tuesday due to the winter storm.
Such a change would also require the House to vote again on the package, and that chamber isn’t scheduled to return until early February, after the funding deadline.
Shutdown Dilemma
If Democrats take this fight over the Jan. 30 deadline, they’d set off a partial shutdown, and close major portions of the government for the second time in four months.
They didn’t hesitate last fall to pick a fight over health care — an issue on which Democrats have long held a political advantage. Republicans, however, see immigration as one of their party’s strengths and have argued that any debate focused on enforcement is a good one for them.
“Now is not the time to defund one of our major national security priorities: border protection,” Sen.
A number of recent polls, however, suggest the politics may be changing. Trump’s approval ratings on immigration have fallen into deeply negative territory in many surveys. A New York Times/Siena poll published last week found 58% of registered voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration, while 40% approve. That was before Saturday’s shooting.
Shutdowns are unpredictable, though. It’s unclear if either party is ready for another one.
It’s also unclear how much this one would hurt. The Republican tax bill passed last year included significant funding for immigration enforcement, so ICE may be able to keep operating even if its annual appropriation lapses in the short term.
Presidents of both parties have also often found workarounds to keep priority functions operating temporarily in short shutdowns. Even if there’s a lapse, a shutdown would begin on a weekend, and the House is back next week.
That might buy lawmakers time to work out a solution.
Diminishing Deal Makers
The ranks of lawmakers willing to cut a deal, however, appear to be shrinking as tensions have spiked.
Several Democratic caucus members who broke with their party to end the fall shutdown now pledge to oppose homeland security funding.
One of them, Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), told CBS’ Face the Nation Sunday he “hates” shutdowns but “can’t vote for a bill that includes ICE funding under these circumstances.”
ICE has just begun operations in his state, raising the pressure. Democratic Nevada Sens.
Senate Republicans, if they hold together, will only need seven Democratic votes to pass the funding bill. Some Democrats hadn’t weighed in as of Sunday morning — but Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said his caucus “will not provide the votes” to advance the DHS bill.
While most Republicans stand with Trump, one response stood out: Sen.
Contradicting the administration, he called for a joint federal and state investigation.
He was a rare Republican to openly question the administration, but another faces significant cross pressure. Collins faces a difficult reelection, is the Appropriations chair trying to advance the spending bills, and is now seeing ICE deployed to her state.
Cassidy has largely supported Trump’s agenda. But he voted to convict the president in his second impeachment trial in 2021, and just last week Trump effectively declared war on the senator, endorsing a rival in Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary.
Cassidy now has less to lose from breaking with Trump.
The president’s scorched-earth style often keeps Republicans in line, but he may also be creating more free agents as he casts some aside.
Ken Tran in Washington, Maeve Sheehey in Washington and Zach C. Cohen in Washington also contributed to this story.
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