Start Here ICE is Retreating. Now What?
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Feb 5, 2026 Britt Glennett, ABC foreign correspondent who covered rescues of Ukrainian children taken to Russia. Jay O'Brien, ABC Capitol Hill correspondent tracking DHS funding fights. They discuss risky cross-border operations to recover children, efforts to erase Ukrainian identity in occupied schools, and the political showdown over DHS staffing, funding deadlines, and proposed reforms.
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Federal Pullback Raises Funding Stakes
- DHS pulled 700 ICE and Border Patrol agents from Minneapolis as a de-escalation move announced by Tom Homan and attributed to President Trump.
- Lawmakers now face a looming DHS funding deadline that could force broader political negotiations over ICE policy.
Policy Demands Complicate DHS Deal
- Democrats demand judicial warrants, a ban on face masks for agents, and mandatory body cameras written into law, not just policy.
- Republicans call some demands unworkable, making bipartisan agreement before funding lapses uncertain.
Use Short Extensions To Avoid Shutdown
- If Congress can't reach a deal by next Friday, passing a short-term DHS funding extension may be the fallback.
- Lawmakers should consider brief continuing resolutions to avoid a full DHS shutdown's wider impacts.