Shutdown risk mounts as Schumer says Democrats will block DHS funding

The odds of a government shutdown taking place have shot up after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said his party will block a Department of Homeland Security funding package.

“Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included,” Schumer said in a post on X Saturday.

It comes after federal agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday, the second fatal shooting involving federal immigration officers in the city this month.

Why It Matters

The standoff over DHS funding could trigger a partial government shutdown as early as January 31 if the Senate does not approve spending measures, with current funding expiring the day before.

The House passed the DHS funding bill 220-207 earlier in the week, with seven Democrats joining Republicans; the measure would keep ICE funding roughly flat and provides about $10 billion for ICE within a $64.4 billion DHS spend.

Calls for the Senate to reject the measure intensified on Saturday after Pretti’s death as video of the shooting spread widely online.

What To Know

Schumer said in his post on X: “What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling—and unacceptable in any American city. Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE.

“I will vote no. Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.”

Two of the most popular prediction markets, Polymarket and Kalshi, both showed a huge spike in Saturday bets that the government will shut down.

Prior to the shooting, at around 8 a.m. on Saturday, Polymarket bettors suggested there was an 8 percent chance there would be a government shutdown by January 31. Following news of the shooting, the percentage spiked to 75 percent by Saturday evening. As of early Sunday morning, Polymarket showed a 77 percent chance.

In a statement to Newsweek about Saturday’s fatal shooting, DHS said it occurred during a “targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault.”

DHS said at approximately 9:05 a.m. CT, “an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted,” prompting an agent to fire “defensive shots.” Medics on scene provided immediate aid, but the individual was pronounced dead at the scene, the agency said.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a press conference on Saturday that the police are unaware of what happened prior to the video recording and noted the individual was a “lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.”

The shooting was the second fatal incident in Minneapolis this month following the death of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7. DHS has repeated that the officer acted in self-defense and that Good was a “domestic terrorist.”

What People Are Saying

Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to Schumer’s statement, saying in a post on X: “This is the strength of response we need. People’s calls and organizing worked. Thank you to all who mobilized. No action is ever too small. This is why we never give up. Thank you.”

Representative Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, said in an X post: “The Senate is set to vote on DHS funding next week and Republicans can’t pass it without Democratic support. This is the time for Senate Dems to hold the line and withhold funding from this lawless agency. Enough is enough. Shut DHS down.”

What Happens Next

The Senate needs 60 votes to advance the spending package, and with Republicans holding 53 seats, GOP leaders require Democratic support for it.

The first Senate procedural vote was not expected until midweek, narrowing the timeline to avoid a lapse in funding that would trigger a partial shutdown on January 31 if legislation is not enacted.