Congress faces shutdown threat as DC rallies after Minnesota VA nurse shooting

ICE protest fallout fuels shutdown fight in Congress

A vigil took place at the Veterans Administration headquarters near the White House to honor Alex Pretti on Wednesday, a Minnesota VA nurse who was killed during a confrontation with federal immigration officials. FOX 5 D.C.'s has the story. 

WASHINGTON - A vigil took place on Wednesday at the Veterans Administration headquarters near the White House to honor Alex Pretti, a Minnesota VA nurse who was killed during a confrontation with federal immigration officials earlier this month.

The event came as debate intensifies over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement and the future of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Protests and political response to ICE tactics

What we know:

A coalition rallied at St. Marks Church in Southeast Washington, calling for the removal of ICE from both Minnesota and the District, according to FOX 5’s Tom Fitzgerald.

Protesters chanted, "Defund ICE! Defund ICE! Defund ICE," and speakers described the past six months as a period of "warrantless searches" and "human rights abuse everywhere," Keya Chatterjee, executive director of Free D.C., a grassroots movement fighting for District residents’ right to self-governance and political power, told FOX 5. 

Nurses and lawmakers call for change

Nurses Unite, a group with 250,000 members, began the vigil at the VA headquarters, calling on Congress to abolish ICE, Fitzgerald reported. 

Several Democrats in Congress said they would vote no on the Homeland Security funding bill, which could trigger a partial government shutdown, as well. 

Supporters of the Trump administration who attended the vigil said that defunding the Department of Homeland Security would affect agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). 

Government shutdown could be looming as Congress faces funding deadline

Time is running out for Congress to avoid another government shutdown. Lawmakers reached a temporary agreement last month to fund the government through January 30, but another shutdown could be looming if Congress cannot reach a new spending deal. At the center of the debate are Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. Democrats previously conceded on the issue, but it remains unclear whether they will push to include the subsidies in upcoming spending negotiations. Lawmakers are expected to vote as talks continue on Capitol Hill.

Congress faces shutdown deadline

The clock is ticking for Congress, with just two days left to reach an agreement on a continuing resolution to keep the government fully open. While the last shutdown was triggered by a fight over health care, this time the standoff centers on immigration enforcement and the future of ICE.

What we don't know:

It is not yet clear whether Congress will reach a deal in time to avoid a partial government shutdown or what changes, if any, will be made to ICE’s role and tactics.