1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

As I know you’re aware, Democrats have demanded a set of reasonable reforms to DHS in order to allow a vote on its annual budget. Republicans and Trump have refused to negotiate because they want ICE, Border Patrol, and the other DHS goons to operate indiscriminately and with impunity. As a result, TSA, FEMA, and other DHS employees are going to get a partial paycheck this week. In early March, if the “shutdown” continues, they’ll miss a full paycheck.  This is the kind of thing that causes one side of the negotiation to buckle -- and it better not be us. DHS’s secret police force is illegal, unconstitutional, and -- importantly in a democratic republic -- deeply unpopular.Senate Democrats need to continue to hold strong. Stay strong. Do not fund DHS without ironclad reforms for ICE.