New Mexico’s two U.S. Senators joined a cohort of Democrats this weekend in pledging to vote against a critical government funding package needed to avoid a government shutdown later this week if it includes funding for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
The weekend shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday by federal immigration officers gave new fuel to the movement pressuring Congress to rein in what is widely seen as unaccountable and likely unlawful tactics by federal officers. Federal officials, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, were quick to claim that Pretti threatened officers with a gun despite numerous witness videos showing differently.
The package of $1.3 trillion in bills to fund the federal government for the year passed the U.S. House earlier this month with ICE funding over the objections of almost every Democrat, including all three of New Mexico’s Congress members. The Senate’s support for the legislation was already shaky following the killing of Renee Good by immigration officers two weeks ago.
Federal funding was extended to this coming Friday as a part of the negotiations to end the last shutdown in October.
While some senators had pledged opposition as well, the prospect of another government shutdown was seen as a worse outcome than passing a negotiated budget with DHS funding.
But public outcry over the shooting and DHS’s response prompted Minnesota’s two Democratic senators to pledge against voting for ICE funding this week. By Saturday afternoon, Heinrich became one of the first senators to join them.
“Enough is enough. I will not vote to fund the lawlessness of DHS, not by itself and not packaged with other funding bills. We need MAJOR reforms at DHS, and we need them now.” – Sen. Martin Heinrich, Jan. 24, 2025
Also on Saturday, Lujan’s first statement challenged Republicans in control of Congress to “stand up to President Trump to put an end to this. No more bullshit. No more excuses.”
By Monday morning, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that a majority of Democrats would follow. Lujan issued a similar statement on social media shortly after.
“The American people saw with their own eyes a U.S. citizen shot and killed by President Trump’s federal agents. Yet this administration continues to lie and cover up what happened. What must happen now: a full and independent investigation; Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller must resign or be fired; and not another dollar for Noem’s DHS without real accountability.” – Sen. Ben Ray Luján, Jan. 24, 2026
A Heinrich spokesperson reached by NM Political Report on Monday added that, “Senator Heinrich has long pushed for real reforms to rein in DHS lawlessness and is continuing to do so now with urgency, while also pushing his Republican colleagues to meaningfully engage in that conversation.”
As we reported last week, Heinrich had already introduced legislation to redirect some ICE funding to local law enforcement, though that bill has little chance of passing.
Republicans will need at least some Democrats to pass funding bills before Friday. If Democrats succeed in holding up DHS funding, the Senate must still pass 5 other bills which would then require approval in the House without DHS funds before Friday.
The vote against DHS or ICE operations may have little impact on actual immigration enforcement, however, because ICE received more than $75 billion in one-time funding last summer in President Trump’s signature “Big, Beautiful Bill.” That funding could likely be used to continue enforcement, according to several reports. All of New Mexico’s Congressional members voted against that bill as well.