The Democratic Party is calling for a ban on immigration officers wearing masks, and is calling for stronger oversight of immigration officers’ work.
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Published February 16, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ran out of funding last weekend as negotiations between Republicans and Democrats remained stalled while Congress adjourned until February 23, leading to the third partial government shutdown of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Democrats are calling for changes to DHS’ immigration operations after two fatal shootings of American citizens in Minneapolis last month. Alex Preti and Renee Good were shot and killed by federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol during one such operation.
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Minnesota officials announced Monday that the FBI has refused to share evidence with state law enforcement following Preti’s Jan. 24 killing.
“This lack of cooperation is alarming and unprecedented,” Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Enforcement Director Drew Evans said in a statement.
DHS went into a shutdown on Saturday, but operations deemed essential will continue. The cuts will affect agencies under DHS, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which operates the Border Patrol, ICE, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
At U.S. airports, 2,933 of TSA’s 64,130 employees were furloughed during the shutdown. The remaining 95% of staff will continue to work, but without pay until DHS is funded.
Earlier this month, Democrats sent Republicans a list of 10 demands to curb immigration enforcement. In a letter written by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, politicians called for increased oversight of DHS.
The letter calls on DHS officials not to enter private property without a judicial warrant and to require proof that a person is not a U.S. citizen before being placed in immigration detention. They also called on DHS to require employees to wear visible identification and transparent uniforms without masks.
Democrats also want to ban immigration enforcement near courthouses, medical facilities, houses of worship, schools and polling places.
He also called for increased coordination with local and state law enforcement after the federal government blocked their participation in investigations related to the Minneapolis deaths.
“Federal immigration agents cannot continue to wreak havoc in our cities while using tax dollars that should be used to make life more affordable for working families,” Jeffries said in the letter.
“The American people rightly expect their elected representatives to take action to rein in ICE and prevent further loss of life. It is important that we come together to impose the common sense reforms and accountability measures that the American people demand.”
Tom Homan, President Trump’s border chief, rejected the Democratic request on CBS’s Face the Nation, calling it “unreasonable.”
Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma echoed Homan’s position. On CNN’s current affairs program “State of the Union,” he claimed that Democrats are engaging in “political theater.”
