As shutdown looms, Democrats unveil demands to address Pretti killing [View all]

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Source: USA Today

Jan. 28, 2026, 5:10 p.m. ET


WASHINGTON – With an increasingly likely partial government shutdown only days away, Senate Democrats outlined three main demands for reforming the Department of Homeland Security, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the wake of Alex Pretti's killing.

First, they want President Donald Trump to end sweeping immigration checks known as "roving patrols." They also demand more accountability for ICE and Border Patrol, including independent investigations and stricter use-of-force standards. Lastly, they want "masks off" officers – and "body cameras on."

If congressional Republicans and the White House don't earnestly negotiate over those requests, another funding crisis is imminent, warned Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York. "These are commonsense reforms, ones that Americans know and expect from law enforcement," he told reporters on Jan. 28. "The White House has had no specific, good, concrete ideas."

He stressed that Senate Democrats are united around those demands. Without a willingness from GOP lawmakers and the president to negotiate, his caucus is pledging to withhold their votes from a broader funding package that must pass by Friday, Jan. 30.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/28/government-shutdown-democrat-demands/88401107007/