Dems continue to reject GOP efforts to fund ICE in DHS fight despite terror concerns: 'That's on them'

Democrats on Capitol Hill are accusing Republicans of walking away from attempts to shrink the size of a partial government shutdown that began on Feb. 14, arguing that the impasse over funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) doesn't need to hold up funding for other agencies.

It's a position that Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., believes his party has repeatedly made clear.

"We're totally ready to fund FEMA, TSA, Coast Guard, other elements. But while ICE continues to misbehave, we need to make sure that there's an agreement about their behavior. And the Republicans are holding the rest of DHS hostage," Whitehouse said, listing the other agencies also tied to DHS.

"That's on them," he added.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, scoffed at what they view as Democratic calls to avoid the heart of the gridlock.

"That's extremely hypocritical because we've already funded ICE," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, noting that the agency had already received allocations through Trump's Big Beautiful Bill last year.

"So, the only thing they're doing is hurting the air-traveling public through TSA. They're hurting them and not accomplishing what they're saying they're trying to accomplish. It's shameful," Cornyn said.

"All of Homeland Security needs to be funded. We're not going to pick part of it not being funded. It's making our country less safe," Scott said.

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said it was squarely on the Trump administration to make those incidents more unlikely in the future.

"Trump has a responsibility to put safeguards around a corrupt agency that is endangering the constitutional privileges of everybody," Markey said.

Without those demands, Democrats say there's no way to press on towards funding ICE.

"Frankly, we have a simple menu of fixes to ensure that ICE and CBP follow the same standards as state and local law enforcement. We get agreement on that we can move ahead," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told Fox News Digital.