California Sen. Adam Schiff said he’s ready to oppose any new funding for the Department of Homeland Security — even if it triggers another government shutdown — citing the killing of Minnesota nurse Alex Pretti by ICE.
“I’m not giving ICE or Border Patrol another dime,” Schiff, a Democrat, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“Anyone who votes to give them more money to do this will share in the responsibility and see … more Americans die in our cities, as a result,” Schiff said.
His fellow California Sen. Alex Padilla, also a Democrat, said he will oppose the DHS funding bill, too, when immigration agents “act with such reckless disregard for life, safety and the Constitution,” according to Politico.
Both Golden State senators are among lawmakers opposing new funding funding for immigration enforcement ahead of a Jan. 30 deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown over Pretti’s killing Saturday, which sparked calls for de-escalation in Minneapolis.
Last week, the House of Representatives narrowly passed a DHS funding bill that included $10 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of a broader $1.2 trillion funding package to keep the government open.
But Senate Democrats, outraged by Pretti’s Saturday killing during an anti-ICE protest in the embattled Twin Cities, are vowing to oppose new funding for immigration agents, raising the prospect of another government shutdown.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), called the chaos in Minnesota “appalling,” in a social media post after the shooting.
Democrats “will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included,” Schumer wrote.
The government shutdown last year, which centered around expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, was the longest on record — lasting 43 days.
Pretti was shot and killed during an anti-ICE protest tied to the Trump administration’s sweeping “Operation Metro Surge” crackdown in Minneapolis.
Federal officials said agents acted in self-defense after Pretti, who was armed, “violently resisted” officers, — a claim contradicted by bystander video footage.
A bloc of Minnesota’s biggest companies and sports teams released an open letter Monday calling for immediate de-escalation of tensions and “real solutions,” denouncing widespread disruption in the state.
President Trump said his administration is “reviewing everything” about the fatal shooting but stopped short of saying the federal agent who fired the shots acted wrongly.
During Trump’s first term, the government was partially closed for 35 days over his demands for funds to build the US-Mexico border wall.
