Democrats Block DHS Funding Ahead Of Partial Government Shutdown

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Huff Post

Feb 12, 2026, 02:03 PM EST | Updated 2 minutes ago


WASHINGTON ― Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked legislation funding for the Department of Homeland Security, holding firm in their demands for reforms to the conduct of federal immigration agents following the death of two American citizens in Minnesota last month.

The failed 52-47 vote, short of the 60 votes needed to advance, means parts of the Department of Homeland Security will shut down Friday at midnight, absent a last-minute deal between both parties and the Trump administration.

“Americans are crystal clear on how they feel about ICE – the status quo cannot continue,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a speech on the Senate floor. “We hear it from people back home and all over the country. People are angry. They’re afraid. They want accountability and an end to the chaos. The White House and Congressional Republicans must listen and deliver.”

Schumer said the Trump administration’s announcement on Thursday that it is withdrawing federal immigration agents from Minneapolis doesn’t change the need to codify reforms to their practices across the country. And he dismissed an offer this week from the White House for some changes to immigration policies as unserious and insufficient.

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democrats-dhs-shutdown-ice_n_698e17f2e4b0967ff007969d

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I am glad to see our Democratic team continuing to block the DHS funding. Enough is enough! ...n/t

[Roy Rolling]

2. Shut it Down!

Whatever it takes.

DEFUND ICE.

[Moostache]

4. Amen...

ICE and CBP need to be trimmed back to the their size from 2021 or earlier.
No masks is the minimum shift required to even have further conversations.

I do NOT want my tax dollars supporting a masked unidentified secret police that looks, acts and sounds like the Gestapo reborn, period.

[Phoenix61]

3. Yeah! Happy to read this.😀

[Qutzupalotl]

5. But they still have a $75 billion slush fund

(or $150B depending on how you count it). That will need to be clawed back before we see any real change in ICE behavior. But this is a start.

[questionseverything]

15. That's the problem, the time to deny cloture was before the bbb

But at least it’s an effort to fight back against the current administration ‘s illegal
Activities

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

6. If you were wondering, Fetterman voted with the MAGAGOP.

Thune (SD) voted with the Democrats, while McConnell (KY) didn't vote - due to hospitalization if memory serves and the Senate doesn't allow remote voting.

https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1192/vote_119_2_00038.htm

[Dear_Prudence]

7. Coast Guard and FEMA to be disrupted

while ICE marches on. What the heck?
(As noted at the end of the article posted by the OP)

[BumRushDaShow]

11. When these federal "shutdowns" happen

usually they will exempt certain categories of employees related to "health, safety, security" and will limit the numbers furloughed (although those who do have to work don't get paid).

In other cases, if the "FTEs" (Full Time Equivalents) are being funded from sources other than "BA" (Budget Authority) money like "User (or other) Fees", "Excise Taxes", etc., and then those staff can continue to work (and get paid) until that funding runs out.

In general, any contractors are SOL (unless their prime chooses to eat the cost to pay them when the shutdown is done because they normally won't get any back pay and there are MANY MANY contractors that make up the federal workforce, and that would include DHS, the biggest department outside of DOD).


(image from here - https://www.brookings.edu/articles/is-government-too-big-reflections-on-the-size-and-composition-of-todays-federal-government/)

[Dear_Prudence]

17. Good to know.

I was a govt contractor, but science editor was not considered essential. No back pay.
I hope Coast Guard and FEMA can keep going thru the mechanisms you have cited here. Thank you for the detailed info.

[BumRushDaShow]

19. As a retired fed

I have been through a couple including the Carnival Cruz "Green Eggs and Ham" shutdown back in 2013. Thankfully I retired before the worst ones that happened in 2018 - 2019 (35-day) and that last one in fall 2025 that was 43 days.

For the Gingrich shutdown back in 1995 - 1996, my agency was one of the few that had been funded so me and my coworkers were coming into our office building (which was multi-agency) with only a handful of other agencies in there that had employees working, but otherwise, the building was completely empty.

[Bayard]

8. HA!

Take THAT MF'ers! I hope Noem has a nervous breakdown. Yay for everyone who voted for this, including rethugs.

[TBF]

9. Enough is enough from the fascists - abolish ICE. nt

[mdbl]

10. Seriously does anyone care that they might have to lay off a bunch of beer-gut biscuit ab flunkies

that have no training or respect for human beings? Fuck ICE. I wish it would stay unfunded.

[EndlessMaze]

12. Shut it down

This may be our last chance to stop what they are planning to do to all of us.

[IcyPeas]

13. Shut it down. Stop funding concentration camps.

[red dog 1]

14. This is great news!

Thanks for posting

[BumRushDaShow]

16. And with that

Congress leaves town (Monday is a holiday and they usually take off the rest of a holiday week) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143615494

[BidenRocks]

18. Ice gestapo has no money!

Will they hitch hike home?

All that heavy battle crap will be roadside litter!