Democrats Urged to Use Leverage Amid Government Shutdown Threat
As the specter of a partial government shutdown looms, Democrats are being advised to adopt a tougher stance, particularly concerning reforms to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. This recommendation comes from a recently circulated polling memo among Democratic senators.
The memo, based on polling conducted from January 23 to 26—during a wave of public outrage following the tragic killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis—reveals that 58 percent of likely midterm voters favor curbing ICE’s powers. Notably, more respondents support reforming the agency than abolishing it, by a margin of 30 percent to 19 percent, as reported by POLITICO.
“Voters are calling for ICE to adhere to the law, concentrating its enforcement efforts on individuals who genuinely threaten public safety. They are seeking concrete changes in ICE operations, rejecting practices such as detaining U.S. citizens, entering homes without warrants, and operating without visible identification,” the memo states. “There is a clear desire for an immigration enforcement strategy that is lawful, rational, and effective.”
Adam Jentleson, the former chief of staff to Senator John Fetterman (D-Penn.) and a key aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), authored the memo on behalf of the Searchlight Institute, which conducted the online survey with 1,502 participants in collaboration with Tavern Research.
This influential think tank aims to guide the Democratic Party toward policies that resonate with a wide swath of the electorate, regardless of ideological affiliations. In the case of ICE, Jentleson insists that Democrats should champion reform rather than outright abolition.
“Democrats must leverage their position to advocate for sensible reforms to ICE that enjoy broad bipartisan support among the American populace,” Jentleson notes in the memo, which has circulated among aides to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Senate Democrats.
A spokesperson for Schumer has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the memo.
According to Searchlight’s latest findings, “bipartisan majorities of voters are against ICE’s unlawful practices, including detaining U.S. citizens (73 percent), entering homes without warrants (79 percent), and failing to wear clearly identifiable uniforms (70 percent),” the memo highlights.
This polling arrives as Senate Democrats are pressing to renegotiate a substantial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill before a looming Friday midnight deadline that could trigger a partial government shutdown, separating it from a broader six-bill appropriations package.
“This may be their last significant leverage point for quite a while, potentially for the remainder of the year, to rein in the immigration enforcement policies instituted during the Trump administration,” Jentleson told POLITICO. “Moreover, the tragic events in Minneapolis have deeply unsettled the American public and drawn attention to the troubling actions of ICE. These factors combined provide substantial leverage for Democrats at this juncture.”
Within the Democratic base, opinions on reforming ICE are closely divided, with 34 percent advocating for reform and 33 percent supporting its abolition—indicating a nearly even split among likely midterm voters, Jentleson remarked. This suggests a competitive dynamic in future Democratic primaries where it is unclear which faction will resonate more with grassroots voters.
What is abundantly clear, Jentleson emphasizes, is that there exists a public appetite for some form of immigration enforcement. The memo points out that the belief that “immigrants living in the U.S. illegally should not be deported” garners no more than 30 percent support among Democrats and younger constituents, with even lower support from other demographics.
The momentum among Senate Democrats is palpable.
On the Senate floor Tuesday, Schumer appeared to lay the groundwork for a potential shutdown, asserting that administrative measures regarding ICE would fall short and emphasizing that “any resolution should originate from Congress. The public cannot rely solely on the administration to rectify these issues; it is imperative that Republicans and Democrats collaborate to achieve this.”
Senate Republicans face a critical Friday midnight deadline to prevent a shutdown. GOP Senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski have called for the dismissal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump acknowledged adjustments to his border security leadership team on Tuesday.
“Senate Democrats should recognize this reality and utilize their influence to secure substantial reforms that curtail ICE’s excesses and redirect the agency towards its essential law enforcement duties,” Jentleson concludes in the memo.
