President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took significant steps late Wednesday toward a possible agreement that could avoid a partial U.S. government shutdown scheduled to begin early Saturday morning, according to a report from The New York Times.
The emerging compromise focuses on separating funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from a larger six-bill spending package. This package is needed to keep the military, health programs, and many other federal agencies operating through the rest of the fiscal year. By pulling DHS funding out of the main bundle, Congress could quickly pass the other five bills to keep most government functions running smoothly. Lawmakers would then provide a short-term extension for DHS while they negotiate new restrictions on federal immigration agents.
The push for this arrangement intensified earlier Wednesday when Senate Democrats, under Schumer’s leadership, demanded stronger rules and oversight for agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other DHS units. Their main proposals include:
- Requiring immigration agents to remove face masks during operations
- Mandating the use of body cameras
- Ending warrantless searches and arrests in many situations
- Applying use-of-force guidelines similar to those used by local police departments
Democrats pointed to recent high-profile incidents, including the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis, as evidence that current practices lack sufficient accountability. They described some ICE actions as overly aggressive, especially in the context of President Trump’s continued hard-line immigration policies. Without these changes, Democrats warned they would block DHS funding, which could force a shutdown of major agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The New York Times, citing officials familiar with the discussions, reported noticeable progress in talks between Trump and Schumer late Wednesday night. The potential deal would allow time to address Democratic concerns about immigration enforcement while preventing widespread disruptions for most federal workers and services.
However, Reuters noted that it could not independently confirm the details of the reported progress. Neither the White House nor a spokesperson for Senator Schumer immediately responded to requests for comment.
A government shutdown would mean halting non-essential federal operations, furloughing hundreds of thousands of workers without pay, closing national parks, delaying processing of benefits and loans, and disrupting air travel security screenings. With the funding deadline set for midnight Friday, the emerging plan represents an effort to sidestep that outcome for the majority of government functions while leaving room to resolve the immigration policy dispute.
If the two sides can finalize the arrangement in the coming hours, it would mark a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation in a deeply divided Congress. As of early Thursday morning, however, key details remained fluid and negotiations were still ongoing.