Republicans Push Immigration Funding, Ignore Reforms

0:00It's April 24th, from your city to your ears. This is Hartford News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Republicans in the Senate just passed a budget resolution this week, setting up billions in funding for immigration enforcement agencies like ISEAN, customs and border protection, all without any democratic imprint on reforms. After an all-my-vote marathon, they're using a process called budget reconciliation to push through about $70 billion over multiple. Years, straight-party line-style. This move boxes out Democrats, who've been demanding changes for months, like requiring judicial warrants for property searches, body cameras for, agents and no-rays as schools or churches, negotiations with a bipartisan group and the White House fizzled out before a recent recess, leaving both sides pointing fingers over who killed the deal. Democrats, led by folks like Senator Chris Murphy, say these reforms are crucial to curb what they call reckless actions at DHS, including incidents. That led to citizen deaths this year.

1:04They held firm during shutdown talks, tying support to real accountability, but now Republicans are going solo to avoid that leverage. The funding could finally end the two-month plus shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, with emergency cash running dry and a target wrap-up. By June 1st, meanwhile, House Republicans take up the resolution next week, aiming to keep in narrow on border stuff, though some in the party want to pile on. Other priorities before mid-terms hit, as this reconciliation train rolls forward, expect more messaging battles in vote, aromas and a messy path through the House, where Trump's influence keeps things chaotic. Democrats might lean on courts for any real checks while the shutdown drama lingers into summer.