1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

The ongoing shutdown of DHS has illustrated that the Republican Party cannot govern nor negotiate in good faith. This means that Democratic policy needs to be laser focused on reform of ICE and CBP. There needs to be unmasking, enforcement of constitutional limits on search and seizure, respect for due process, disarming of most ICE agents (who do not need arms to serve civil warrants), restrictions on where CPB can operate (limited to the border), and use of cooperation with Lola police for arresting criminals in the country without documentation (locals arrest first, immigration actions follow). Pulling back funds for detention facilities and ICE operations should also be considered. Indeed dissolution of ICE (a relatively new agency that has proven to be poorly conceived) is a reasonable goal. No compromise on these core issues should be supported. DHS as currently structured includes too many levers for abuse by the executive branch. Removing those before funding DHS is the first and most important step.