The Fox News Rundown From Washington: The DHS Shutdown Battle & The Democrats' ICE Reform Demands
Feb 8, 2026
Chad Wolf, former acting DHS secretary who led immigration enforcement discussions, and Chad Pergram, Fox News chief congressional correspondent who covers Capitol negotiations. They break down the DHS funding standoff and the Democrats' demands on ICE. They discuss high-stakes congressional vote math, possible concessions on roving patrols, and local-federal cooperation after Minnesota.
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Split Bills Spark Short Shutdown
- The House and Senate fell out of sync, triggering a short shutdown that left DHS funding unresolved.
- That split compressed negotiation time and made meeting the upcoming deadline much harder.
Fight Focuses On ICE Tactics Not Funding
- Democrats pushed for legislative restrictions on ICE even though core ICE funding was secured in last year's big bill.
- That made the fight about tactics and oversight rather than basic agency funding.
Immigration Replaces Affordability As Focus
- The DHS standoff shifted political attention away from affordability toward immigration and enforcement optics.
- That shift could reshape messaging advantages for Republicans heading into future elections.