Congress faces a Friday midnight deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security or pass another stopgap measure, as Democrats and Republicans remain deadlocked over immigration enforcement reforms. Meanwhile, immigration courts over the weekend suddenly rescheduled dozens of asylum hearings for Somali migrants, moving cases scheduled for 2028—or not yet scheduled at all—to February and March.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans have rejected Democratic demands as politically motivated attempts to hamstring immigration enforcement. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he will prepare a short-term funding bill as a backup option, but GOP lawmakers view requirements for officers to display names and ban face masks as nonstarters.
"Radical leftists have made it a habit to doxx federal agents, and this demand is a direct nod to the most rabid of the Democrats' base," wrote Townhall, characterizing the Democratic proposals as designed to "destroy ICE as we know it." RNC national press secretary Kiersten Pels told Newsweek that "Trump has lowered prices, secured the border, and ensured workers keep more of their hard-earned pay."
On the asylum court rescheduling, the Executive Office for Immigration Review declined to comment on specific cases. EOIR spokeswoman Kathryn Mattingly said the agency does not discuss cases before the courts it operates. The agency has previously noted that immigration judges can hear any case at any time throughout the country to assist with caseloads.
A memo sent to EOIR staff last spring encouraged immigration judges to deny "legally deficient asylum cases without a hearing." In recent months, ICE attorneys have increasingly filed motions to "pretermit" asylum cases—requesting judges deny cases without hearings on details if applications are incomplete or legally deficient. Republicans argue this represents appropriate case management to address immigration court backlogs.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic leaders have outlined ten demands for DHS reforms they say must be included in any funding agreement. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are insisting on requirements that immigration officers display identifying information including their last names on uniforms and prohibit the use of face masks during enforcement operations.
"Following the fatal shootings of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti" during recent immigration enforcement operations, Democrats argue these reforms are essential for accountability, according to The Guardian. Other demands include stricter warrant requirements for entering private property, prohibitions on enforcement at schools, churches, medical facilities and polling places, and a universal code of conduct for federal agents.
On the asylum court issue, four immigration attorneys told NPR they fear the rapid rescheduling of Somali cases "appears to be a coordinated effort between the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the Department of Homeland Security to reject Somali asylum applications without court hearings." Lawyers across Minnesota, Illinois and Nebraska received notices starting Friday night affecting more than 100 cases, with attorneys expecting the count to climb higher.
"This feels like a setup," Minnesota immigration attorney David Wilson told NPR. "To rush these particular cases with judges who may not be familiar with them—it's disappointing that their system isn't going to give them their full day in court." Wilson noted that some lawyers went from having zero hearings scheduled to dozens, and several attorneys were scheduled for multiple conflicting hearings at the same date and time in different states.
What the Numbers Show
The DHS funding impasse follows a two-week stopgap measure passed earlier this week that funds the department at 2025 levels through February 13. If Congress fails to reach agreement by Friday midnight, lawmakers must pass another continuing resolution or face a partial government shutdown affecting DHS operations.
According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, there are approximately 3,254 pending cases from Somali immigrants in immigration court nationwide. Nearly half are in Minnesota, home to the largest Somali community in the country. Lawyers told NPR that in all rescheduled cases, clients were Somali citizens who entered the U.S. between 2018 and 2024.
Some affected individuals have Temporary Protected Status, which the Trump administration terminated for Somalis in November. The program expires March 17, meaning TPS recipients unable to adjust their status through immigration court will be subject to deportation. NPR reported that the affected cases appear to have been assigned to immigration judges who grant asylum at lower rates than the national average.
Recent polling complicates the political dynamics. While Republicans largely support Trump's immigration enforcement actions, an NPR poll found that a majority of Americans believe those tactics have gone too far. Separately, Trump's job approval rating stands at 39% in the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, with just 36% approving of his handling of the economy.
The Bottom Line
The dual crises—DHS funding negotiations and fast-tracked asylum hearings—highlight deep partisan divisions over immigration enforcement. Democrats demand accountability measures they say protect civil rights and due process, while Republicans argue such reforms would cripple border security operations. With the Friday deadline approaching and both sides dug in, Congress faces the choice between another short-term extension or a partial government shutdown. Meanwhile, immigration attorneys scramble to prepare for dozens of suddenly accelerated asylum hearings that could determine whether their Somali clients face deportation.