The U.S. Senate failed on Feb. 12 to advance a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), pushing the agency to the brink of a shutdown as its stopgap funding is set to expire.
The vote was 52 in favor and 47 against, falling short of the 60 votes needed to move the bill forward. Senate Democrats expressed dissatisfaction with the latest negotiation terms put forward by the White House. "Our position is very clear: We will not support the status quo" on immigration enforcement, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said.
With both chambers of Congress set to recess for several days, U.S. media widely believe that a DHS shutdown is now all but certain. However, Senate Republican Leader John Thune told reporters that if a bipartisan deal is reached, senators would be expected to return to the Capitol within 24 hours to vote.
Tensions over immigration enforcement escalated in January after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by DHS enforcement agents during an operation targeting undocumented immigrants in Minnesota. On Feb. 3, the House passed a spending bill already approved by the Senate to fund several federal agencies for the remainder of the fiscal year. However, it only extended DHS funding at current levels through Feb. 13, allowing a two-week window for negotiations on operational reforms.
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