Democrats Lay Out 10 ICE Demands in DHS Funding Standoff

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Washington, District of Columbia — Congressional Democrats have formally outlined 10 demands aimed at reshaping Immigration and Customs Enforcement as negotiations intensify over fiscal year 2026 funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sent the proposals Wednesday to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, warning that DHS funding should not proceed without new guardrails on immigration enforcement.

The demands come as lawmakers face a two-week deadline to avert another funding lapse. Democrats argue the proposals are necessary following two fatal shootings in Minneapolis last month involving federal immigration agents, incidents that have heightened scrutiny of ICE operations nationwide. Schumer and Jeffries wrote that federal agents “cannot continue to cause chaos in our cities while using taxpayer money that should be used to make life more affordable for working families.”

The 10 demands outlined in the letter include:

Targeted enforcement requiring judicial warrants and verification of citizenship before detention.
A ban on ICE agents wearing masks during enforcement.
Mandatory display and verbal disclosure of agent identification.
Prohibiting enforcement near sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, churches, and polling places.
Explicit bans on racial profiling.
Codifying use-of-force standards, expanded training, and mandatory removal from duty pending investigations.
Preserving state and local authority to investigate and prosecute misconduct and requiring consent for large-scale operations.
Uniform detention standards, access to legal counsel, expanded congressional oversight, and authority for states to sue DHS.
Required body cameras with strict limits preventing surveillance of First Amendment activity.
Limits on paramilitary-style uniforms and equipment for DHS officers.

The letter also urges the Trump administration to scale back enforcement activity in Minnesota and remove DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, while Republicans have yet to publicly respond.