Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Monday that Democrats have formally sent their Republicans colleagues a list of proposed reforms to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stating that the responsibility now rests with the GOP as the deadline for funding Department of Homeland Security funding approaches.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer said Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), released legislative text over the weekend outlining ten reforms they say are necessary before any DHS funding bill moves forward. Schumer emphasized that the proposals have been public for days and argued that they reflect widely accepted standards already followed by most law enforcement agencies.
According to Schumer, Democrats are asking ICE to meet the same basic accountability requirements expected of local police departments. He pointed to several core demands, including requiring judicial warrants before agents enter private homes, banning the use of masks that conceal agents’ identities, and establishing clear use-of-force standards.
“Why should ICE be different?” Schumer asked, arguing that no other law enforcement agency is allowed to operate without identification or accountability. He described the Democratic proposals as “exceedingly reasonable” and said members of both parties who have reviewed them privately have acknowledged as much.
Schumer Proposes Prohibiting Unannounced ICE Raids
Schumer also discussed a proposal to prohibit unannounced immigration enforcement operations in sensitive locations such as hospitals, schools, and polling places. He warned that tactics like surrounding polling sites or targeting school buses would have little to do with public safety and far more to do with intimidation, highlighting growing concerns that the Trump administration may interfere with the upcoming midterm elections.
Schumer added that Democrats’ proposed use-of-force standards are modeled after language already in effect in Florida, a point he used to argue that the reforms should not be controversial. “If it’s good enough for Florida, it should be good enough for Congress,” he stated.
With the DHS funding deadline looming, Schumer said Democrats have put forward their terms and are waiting for Republicans to respond. “The clock is ticking,” he said, urging his Republican colleagues to negotiate in good faith and agree to what he described as “common sense” reforms.
