(The Center Square) – The debate by Southwestern members of Congress over the fatal shootings in Minneapolis is continuing along party lines as the U.S. Senate Thursday failed to advance funding bills.
There are now less than 40 hours left for the Senate to approve House-passed legislation to avert a partial federal government shutdown.
Two Democrats whose votes allowed the federal government to reopen in November said they won’t support a spending bill that includes Homeland Security following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were shot and killed by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
In Nevada, U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, has criticized the Trump administration and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem specifically for “putting untrained, combative federal agents on the streets” with no accountability.
“They are oppressing Americans and are at odds with local law enforcement,” said Cortez Masto this week in news release. “This is clearly not about keeping Americans safe; it is brutalizing U.S. citizens and law-abiding immigrants.”
Because of this, Cortez Masto said she “will not support the current Homeland Security funding bill.”
Cortez Masto and U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, were among the Democrats whose votes brought the Senate to the 60 votes it needed to reopen the government in November. Rosen earlier this week announced she would vote against funding Homeland Security and called for Noem’s impeachment.
U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Arizona, said he’s not surprised by Democrats’ objection to funding Homeland Security.
“As I said before, the Democrats were willing to shut down the government over handouts for criminal illegal immigrants, so the fact that they are now threatening to do it again over funding for immigration enforcement proves that they prioritize illegal immigrants over American citizens,” Hamadeh told The Center Square.
Hamadeh, a first-generation American, said “no one in their right mind” would support shutting down the government to protect hardened criminals, yet that is exactly what the Democrats are doing.
“Our law enforcement officers should be able to safely arrest criminals who are convicted spouse abusers, child molesters, and murderers, which, contrary to the fake news, is exactly who ICE agents are trying to take into custody,” said Hamadeh, a former U.S. Army Reserve captain and intelligence officer as well as a former Maricopa County prosecutor.
On the other side of the issue is U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona. The former astronaut and Navy veteran announced Wednesday he will vote “no” for the Department of Homeland Security budget this week following the fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
“We can enforce our laws without this chaos,” said Kelly, the son of two police officers. “We can enforce our laws without federal agents killing people, killing people in the streets of American cities.”
In Nevada, U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nevada, issued statements this week, saying that “the loss of any American life is tragic” and that his “thoughts are with the loved ones of Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti.”
However, Amodei said he felt it’s unwise to shut down the Department of Homeland Security because of what it could mean for institutions such as Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Secret Service. These fall under the umbrella of DHS.
“There is another player in the room who has not been exemplary, and that is the local agitators and politicians who have encouraged the continued interference with immigration enforcement operations,” said Amodei. “They share equal responsibility for creating a warzone mentality on the ground. State, local, and federal agencies must unify their efforts, leveraging their distinct authorities and resources to restore safety and order in Minnesota.”
U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California, has also weighed in on the situation. In a video posted on X, the senator from Burbank said, “ICE and CBP are out of control and need a total overhaul.”
CBP stands for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“It all comes back to the Big Ugly Bill,” said Schiff in a tongue-in-cheek reference to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Signed by President Donald Trump in 2025, the bill increased funding for ICE and CBP as a means of aiding the administration’s efforts to find and remove individuals in the United States illegally.
Someone who supports that idea is U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California.
In a post on X, Issa, whose district include parts of San Diego and Riverside counties, wrote, “Democrats need to rethink their immigration reform ideas if they give a free pass to criminal illegals.”
Amodei, Cortez Masto, Schiff and Issa did not respond to The Center Square’s requests for comment.
Elsewhere in the Southwest is U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colorado, who voted recently to fund the federal government.
“Today I proudly voted in favor of the final bipartisan appropriations package, to keep our government fully funded for fiscal year 2026,” Evans said in a statement after voting Jan. 22 for the final four of 12 appropriations bills. “These four bills strengthen our national security, support America’s service members, promote a healthier nation, and empower local communities through economic development priorities. This package also delivers more than $18.9 million in direct funding for Colorado’s Eighth Congressional District, securing meaningful wins for my constituents and our state.”
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, meanwhile, said he’s developing legislation to impose new guardrails and accountability on the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE and CBP.
Bennet said the legislation would prohibit the use of DHS funds to detain children and strengthen protection of minors and would require warrants to enter homes. It’s also designed, among other things, to restrict DHS operations to the enforcement of immigration law and enhance hiring, training and performance standards for immigration agents.
Bennet’s office said the senator continues to call for Noem to resign.
