Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick says he wants to make changes at ICE and end the DHS shutdown
The Bucks County Republican said he's working out the terms of a bill that would prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing masks in most situations.
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Bucks County Republican, says he is working on a proposal to reform ICE and fund the Department of Homeland Security amid a congressional spending stalemate that stemmed from federal agents’ killing of U.S. citizens in Minnesota earlier this year.
Fitzpatrick and Rep. Tom Suozzi (D., N.Y.), who both represent swing districts, said this week they are working out the terms of a deal that would prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing masks in most situations and align ICE protocols with those of other federal law enforcement agencies.
Americans’ trust in ICE has “frayed, and it needs to be repaired,” Fitzpatrick said on the debut episode of his new podcast, which was posted Thursday on YouTube. Fitzpatrick and Suozzi, cochairs of the bipartisan congressional Problem Solvers Caucus, are hosts of The Pod Couple.
Democrats blocked funding for the department in mid-February, hinging their support for additional spending on changes to ICE policies. They cited the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. Amid public backlash, the Trump administration has reduced the presence of immigration enforcement agents in the city.
ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol have continued to receive funding through President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill law that passed last summer. The partial government shutdown that began Feb. 14 has resulted in a lapse in funding for other DHS agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Political pressure to resolve the impasse has intensified as travelers deal with long lines at airports and federal employees go without paychecks.
» READ MORE: Two more security checkpoints at PHL will close due to TSA staffing shortages
Trump border czar Tom Homan met with senators from both parties this week, but Congress is still at odds. The Senate on Friday voted for the fifth time against advancing DHS funding, as the 47-37 vote fell short of the 60 needed to clear the filibuster. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) joined Republicans in favor of funding, while most Democrats opposed it. Sixteen senators did not vote.
“You shouldn’t shut down FEMA and the Coast Guard and TSA … because you disagree on, you know, a small part of the budget,” Fitzpatrick said on the podcast.
At the same time, Suozzi said, “People don’t like the idea of masked men breaking windows, you know, dragging people out of their cars.”
The two congressmen said they want to require ICE agents to wear body cameras and suggested they should undergo the same rigorous training as employees at other agencies, like the FBI. Fitzpatrick served in the FBI for 14 years.
“We are trying to get to a place where Brian and I can come to an agreement and then try and sell it to our colleagues,” Suozzi said.
Punchbowl News earlier reported the duo’s plans.
Republicans have blocked Democrats’ efforts to fund individual agencies like TSA, while Democrats have opposed GOP efforts to fund all of DHS on a temporary basis.