The lawmakers are seeking greater accountability for ICE agents, including upholding reasonable use-of-force standards already on the books. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed similar concerns on Thursday, warning that ICE was “completely and totally out of control”. “Taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for the American people, not brutalise or kill them,” he said, stressing that violence was occurring “whenever these masked and untrained ICE agents show up on the scene”. But ICE would be able to maintain operations during a partial shutdown because of funds already approved by Congress last year. The shutdown would be the third of Trump’s second term, including a record 43-day government closure last October and November.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 13, 2026 16:43 UTC