US government shutdown deadline nears: Can Trump, Senate Democrats reach agreement amid Minneapolis ICE shootings?

Democrats in the US Senate and President Donald Trump’s administration are holding talks that could lead to new limits on federal immigration agents and help avert a partial government shutdown, according to a Reuters report citing a source. This comes after Minneapolis shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents this month.

Although no deal has been finalised, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that “discussions are moving in Democrats' direction".

No immediate response was received from the White House to a request for comment.

They have warned they may block funding legislation for the DHS and several other federal agencies, a move that could lead to a partial government shutdown when funding runs out at midnight Friday.

Democrats are pushing to separate DHS funding from the wider spending bill, a step that would allow the Senate to move forward with financing for the Pentagon, health programmes and other government functions without interruption.

They are also seeking a short-term funding extension for DHS to allow more time for negotiations. A preliminary vote on the broader spending package is expected in the Senate on Thursday.

Senate Democrats sought to require officers to unmask, identify themselves, and secure warrants prior to making arrests, as per AP. However, Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina stated he would support separating the bills but opposed Democrats’ push to require immigration enforcement officers to show their faces. At the same time, he placed put onus on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for decisions he said were “tarnishing” the agency’s reputation.

“You know, there’s a lot of vicious people out there, and they’ll take a picture of your face, and the next thing you know, your children or your wife or your husband are being threatened at home. And that’s just the reality of the world that we’re in," AP quoted Tillis as saying.

The shooting, the second of its kind in Minneapolis this month, has triggered widespread anger and led the Trump administration to shift personnel supervising immigration enforcement in the area. On Wednesday, immigration agents in Minnesota were instructed to refrain from engaging with “agitators", according to internal guidance, the Reuters report noted.