Government Shutdown Looms as Tensions Rise Over Immigration Enforcement
Washington, D.C. – The possibility of a partial government shutdown loomed as Senate Republicans and Democrats remained deadlocked over a six-bill appropriations package, just months after the country emerged from its longest shutdown in history, according to Time. Funding for several federal agencies was set to expire after midnight on Friday.
The impasse was fueled, in part, by growing outcry over the Trump Administration's immigration crackdown, particularly after federal officers shot and killed a second U.S. citizen in Minneapolis this month, Time reported. Senate Democrats were objecting to a bill that included funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unless significant changes were made and were signaling their readiness to block the bill's passage, even if it meant a government shutdown.
The debate over immigration enforcement also intensified following the death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Veterans Affairs nurse, who was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis on January 24. President Trump labeled Pretti an "agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist" in a post on Truth Social, Time noted. Trump referenced a video purportedly showing Pretti "screaming and spitting in the face of a very calm and under control ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer, and then crazily kicking in a new and very expensive government vehicle." He described the incident as "quite a display of abuse and anger, for all to see, crazed and out of control."
The controversy surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been growing. Vox reported that recent polls indicated nearly half of voters would like to abolish the agency. Democrats have focused on reforming ICE by ending warrantless patrols, curtailing aggressive tactics, and increasing accountability, according to Vox.
Adding to the political tensions, House Republicans have proposed sweeping changes to voting laws ahead of the fall midterm elections. An elections reform bill, dubbed the "Make Elections Great Again Act," would impose new requirements for Americans to register and cast their ballots and restrict mail-in and ranked-choice voting, Time reported. The measure faces an uphill battle due to the narrow Republican majority in Congress and Democratic opposition.
Meanwhile, a report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the Trump Administration's deployment of National Guard troops to multiple U.S. cities since June has cost taxpayers nearly $500 million, Time reported. The deployments to cities including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Memphis, Portland, and Chicago, were intended to crack down on crime, but have faced legal challenges and sparked outrage from local and state leaders, as well as residents.
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