Opinion | What Is the Democrats’ Game Plan on ICE?

So our government agreed to temporarily continue funding the Department of Homeland Security. “With the House passing a bill to end the partial government shutdown.” Now, you might be asking, did Democrats just roll over? The public is outraged over ICE’s egregious, inhumane tactics. Why didn’t they stop this? Here’s the thing. Shutting down the government wouldn’t have shut down ICE or Border Patrol. Their agents are considered essential workers, and the Department of Homeland Security is already well funded for years to come. So instead of forcing a shutdown, Democrats agreed to pass a continuing resolution. On one hand, this buys them a little more time to negotiate without disrupting other government agencies. On the other hand, Democrats are making a big bet here that by the next deadline, they’ll still have the leverage they need to get Republicans on board with their demands for ICE and Border Patrol. Spoiler alert: Those demands are not exactly radical. Democrats want an end to roving patrols, so agents can’t stop people just because they suspect they might be here illegally. “Hearing that you have an accent, I have reason to believe that you are not born of this country ——” They want officers to have a warrant issued by a judge before they can enter someone’s home or arrest them. “Agents broke into his home without a warrant.” They want agents to show their faces, wear body cameras and carry ID. And finally, they want to hold independent investigations when an officer is involved in a violent incident. Democrats might be able to hold on to their momentum and pass real reform. But for now, ICE will continue to operate with very few guardrails.