Senate Unanimously Advances DHS Funding Deal Without ICE and CBP Amid Shutdown The Senate moved forward with a bipartisan agreement to reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after 42 days of government shutdown, but the deal excluded funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The agreement, passed in the early hours of Friday, marks a critical step toward resolving the funding crisis but leaves key immigration enforcement agencies without financial support. The decision came amid ongoing tensions between Democrats and Republicans over immigration policy and the broader implications of the shutdown. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his Democratic allies praised the deal, calling it a victory for their priorities. Schumer argued that the agreement aligns with their demands to withhold funding for ICE and CBP, which he and his caucus have consistently opposed. “This is exactly what we wanted,” Schumer stated, emphasizing that his party had maintained its stance throughout the negotiations. However, the deal lacks the sweeping reforms Democrats had sought, such as requiring judicial warrants for agent actions or mandating the unmasking of individuals during investigations. Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., criticized the agreement as a missed opportunity to secure meaningful policy changes. Thune argued that Democrats had repeatedly rejected proposals to fund immigration enforcement while simultaneously demanding reforms. “We’ve been trying for weeks to fund the whole thing,” Thune said, noting that the deal “has zero reforms” and that Democrats had failed to compromise on policy issues.#dhs #senate #john_thune #transportation_security_administration #chuck_schumer
Trio Named to Replace Alina Habba as U.S. Attorney is Also Serving Illegally, Judge Says A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration had again violated legal procedures by attempting to install its own nominees to lead New Jersey’s U.S. attorney’s office, marking the second time in under a year that the court has invalidated such actions. The decision underscores ongoing legal challenges to the administration’s efforts to circumvent congressional oversight in selecting top federal prosecutors. The ruling specifically targeted the recent appointment of a trio to replace Alina Habba, the former U.S. attorney for New Jersey who resigned in 2020. The judge found that the Trump administration’s attempt to bypass the Senate’s confirmation process for these nominees was unlawful, reinforcing the principle that federal judicial appointments must adhere to established constitutional protocols. This follows a similar ruling earlier this year, which also condemned the administration’s methods for filling the U.S. attorney position. The case highlights tensions between executive authority and legislative checks, as the court emphasized that the Senate’s role in confirming federal officials remains non-negotiable. Legal experts noted that the repeated invalidation of these appointments signals a growing judicial resistance to executive overreach in the judicial branch. The ruling also raises questions about the implications for the functioning of federal prosecutors, who play a critical role in enforcing federal law. The judge’s decision comes amid broader scrutiny of the Trump administration’s approach to staffing key federal positions.#new_jersey #trump_administration #federal_judge #senate #u_s_attorney
