President Trump and Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, moved on Wednesday night toward a possible agreement to negotiate new restrictions on federal immigration agents, potentially averting a government shutdown early Saturday when funding for multiple federal agencies is slated to lapse.
Under the emerging plan, according to two officials knowledgeable about it, the Senate would split off legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security from a six-bill package of spending measures needed to keep the military, health programs and other federal agencies funded for the remainder of the fiscal year.
The Senate would pass those bills before a Friday midnight deadline, and Congress also would consider a short-term extension for homeland security operations, which would prevent an interruption of services by the Transportation Security Agency, Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
That stopgap bill would provide time for talks between lawmakers and the White House to draft a new homeland security spending bill that would include new restrictions that Democrats have demanded on the tactics of immigration enforcement officers and more accountability for those accused of using excessive force.
The White House had no immediate comment on the possible deal.
Officials emphasized that the agreement was not sealed and multiple hurdles remained.
But the progress toward a potential offramp from the shutdown showdown came, according to the officials, after Senate Democrats earlier on Wednesday had laid out the changes they insisted must be made in the Trump administration’s conduct of its immigration crackdown before they would support continued funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Among the demands from Democrats was that federal agents carrying out Mr. Trump’s deportation campaign take off their masks, wear body cameras and halt random sweeps and warrantless searches and arrests.
Mr. Schumer had pushed Senator John Thune, the South Dakota Republican and majority leader, to break up the six-bill package and allow a rewriting of the homeland security legislation after Saturday’s fatal shooting in Minneapolis of Alex Pretti. Mr. Thune had resisted but also encouraged Mr. Schumer to seek a deal with the administration.
It was unclear how the potential agreement would impact a test vote on the spending package set for Thursday morning. It also came as Tom Homan, the border czar dispatched by Mr. Trump to try to quiet the tumult in Minneapolis, was to hold a news conference Thursday morning.
Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine and the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, said the two sides were moving toward a resolution of the crisis.
“It appears that the White House and the Senate are making good progress to avoid a shutdown,” she said.
David E. Sanger contributed reporting.
Carl Hulse is the chief Washington correspondent for The Times, primarily writing about Congress and national political races and issues. He has nearly four decades of experience reporting in the nation’s capital.
The post Trump and Schumer Move Toward Possible Deal to Avert a Shutdown appeared first on New York Times.
