Democrats say they've reached agreement to avert shutdown

WASHINGTON -- Democrats and the White House are narrowing successful connected a spending woody that could avert a partial authorities shutdown arsenic they negociate caller restrictions for President Donald Trump's surge of migration enforcement.

As the state reels from the deaths of 2 protesters astatine the hands of national agents successful Minneapolis, the 2 sides had tentatively agreed to abstracted homeland information backing from the remainder of the authorities and money it for 2 weeks portion they statement Democratic demands for curbs connected the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The imaginable woody comes aft Democrats voted to artifact authorities to money the Department of Homeland Security connected Thursday.

"We don't privation a shutdown," President Donald Trump said arsenic helium began a Cabinet gathering Thursday morning.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told The Associated Press connected Thursday that helium had been "vehemently opposed" to breaking up the backing package, but "if it is breached up, we volition person to determination it arsenic rapidly arsenic possible. We can't person the authorities unopen down."

Democrats person requested a abbreviated extension-two weeks oregon less-and accidental they are prepared to artifact the wide-ranging spending measure if their demands aren't met, denying Republicans the votes they request to walk it and perchance triggering a shutdown.

Republicans were pushing for a longer hold of the Homeland Security funding, but the 2 sides were "getting closer," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Rare bipartisan talks

The uncommon bipartisan talks betwixt Trump and his predominant adversary, Senate Democratic person Chuck Schumer, came aft the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti successful Minnesota implicit the play and calls by senators successful some parties for a afloat investigation. Schumer called it "a infinitesimal of truth."

"The American radical enactment instrumentality enforcement. They enactment borderline security. They bash not enactment ICE terrorizing our streets and sidesplitting American citizens," Schumer said.

SEE ALSO: New video appears to amusement Alex Pretti clashing with agents 11 days earlier shooting

With nary last statement yet and an uncertain way ahead, the standoff threatened to plunge the state into different shutdown, conscionable 2 months aft Democrats blocked a spending measure implicit expiring national wellness attraction subsidies. That quality closed the authorities for 43 days arsenic Republicans refused to negotiate.

The autumn shutdown ended erstwhile a tiny radical of mean Democrats broke distant to onslaught a woody with Republicans, but Democrats are much unified this clip aft the fatal shootings of Pretti and Renee Good by national agents.

Democrats laic retired demands

Democrats person laid retired respective demands, asking the White House to "end roving patrols" successful cities and coordinate with section instrumentality enforcement connected migration arrests, including requiring tighter rules for warrants.

They besides privation an enforceable codification of behaviour truthful agents are held accountable erstwhile they interruption rules. Schumer said agents should beryllium required to person "masks off, assemblage cameras on" and transportation due identification, arsenic is communal signifier successful astir instrumentality enforcement agencies.

The Democratic caucus is agreed successful those "common consciousness reforms," and the load is connected Republicans to judge them, Schumer said.

"Boil it each down, what we are talking astir is that these lawless ICE agents should beryllium pursuing the aforesaid rules that your section constabulary section does," said Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota. "There has to beryllium accountability."

Earlier connected Thursday, Tom Homan, the president's borderline czar, stated during a property league successful Minneapolis that national migration officials are processing a program to trim the fig of agents successful Minnesota, but this would beryllium connected practice from authorities authorities.

Still acold isolated connected policy

As the 2 sides narrowed successful connected a spending deal, the magnitude of a impermanent hold for Homeland Security backing emerged arsenic a sticking point. Thune said Thursday that 2 weeks wasn't capable clip to negociate a last compromise.

"We'll spot wherever discussions are going betwixt (Democrats) and the White House connected that," Thune said.

Even if the 2 sides onslaught a deal, negotiations down the roadworthy connected a last statement connected the Homeland Security measure are apt to beryllium difficult.

Democrats privation Trump's assertive migration crackdown to end. "If the Trump medication resists reforms, we unopen down the agency," said Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

"We request to instrumentality a stand," helium said.

But Republicans are improbable to hold to each of the Democrats' demands.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said helium is opposed to requiring migration enforcement officers to amusement their faces, adjacent arsenic helium blamed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for decisions that helium said are "tarnishing" the agency's reputation.

"You know, there's a batch of vicious radical retired there, and they'll instrumentality a representation of your face, and the adjacent happening you know, your children oregon your woman oregon your hubby are being threatened astatine home," Tillis said.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said immoderate of the Democratic proposals "make sense," specified arsenic amended grooming and assemblage cameras. Still, helium said helium was putting his Senate colleagues "on notice" that if Democrats effort to marque changes to the backing bill, helium would importune connected caller connection preventing section governments from resisting the Trump administration's migration policies.

"I deliberation the champion legislative solution for our state would beryllium to follow immoderate of these reforms to ICE and Border Patrol," Graham posted connected X, but besides extremity alleged "sanctuary city" policies.

Uncertainty successful the House
Across the Capitol, House Republicans person said they bash not privation immoderate changes to the measure they passed past week. In a missive to Trump connected Tuesday, the blimpish House Freedom Caucus wrote that its members basal with the Republican president and ICE.

"The bundle volition not travel backmost done the House without backing for the Department of Homeland Security," they wrote.

Speaker Johnson appeared unfastened to the changes, albeit reluctantly, and told the AP helium would privation to o.k. the bills "as rapidly arsenic possible" erstwhile the Senate acts.

"The American radical volition beryllium hanging successful the equilibrium implicit this," Johnson said. "A shutdown doesn't assistance anybody."

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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves, Joey Cappelletti, and Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.