DHS Shutdown Hurts Families
The DHS shutdown, now in its fifth week, is reportedly producing a patchwork of complaints and is impeding families' access to detention facilities, counsel, and oversight—lawmakers warn conditions and case processing are worsening. The shutdown is creating new procedural barriers for detained clients and counsel. (npr.org)
Rep. Julie Johnson (D‑TX) says “numerous constituents” have been unable to locate detained relatives or secure medical treatment amid a funding lapse that has stretched into its fifth week. (houstonpublicmedia.org) U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb restored lawmakers’ unfettered access to ICE detention facilities on March 2 and explicitly rejected DHS claims that the shutdown should limit congressional oversight. (politico.com) The House approved H.R. 7744 on March 5 by a 221‑209 vote to fund DHS through September, but the Senate has failed multiple cloture/advancement attempts, leaving the department unfunded for more than 30 days. (appropriations.house.gov) Problem Solvers Caucus co‑chairs Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R‑PA) and Tom Suozzi (D‑NY) proposed a compromise to reopen DHS that pairs full funding with ICE reforms including body cameras and visible officer identification. (fitzpatrick.house.gov) Senate Democrats delivered a counteroffer to the White House on March 17 while White House border czar Tom Homan met with a bipartisan group of senators in closed‑door talks on March 19 as negotiations to end the shutdown continued. (cnbc.com) Advocates and attorneys report new procedural barriers for detained clients—erratic location information and uneven counsel access—while House Democrats have launched a discharge petition to fund DHS components aside from ICE and CBP (TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard). (houstonpublicmedia.org)
