GA Dems To Block Trump's $10B Bid For ICE After Deadly Shooting

Two U.S. Democratic senators from Georgia planned to strike down a $10 billion federal budget that would fund ICE after a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent killed a 37-year-old intensive care nurse in Minnesota.

The U.S. Senate is set to vote on an overall $64.4 billion proposal to fund the Department of Homeland Security later this week to avoid a partial government shutdown, The New York Times reported. Of that, $10 billion would be spent on the Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The news outlet reported the bill would also benefit the Pentagon, the State Department and programs that encompass health, education, labor and transportation.

"We are closely monitoring the potential for a federal government shutdown, which could take effect at 12:01 a.m. on January 31, 2026, if Congress does not approve a new funding plan. We are here to support you and will share essential information should a shutdown occur," the Georgia Department of Labor said in a statement Tuesday.

The budget proposal comes amid national frustration and angst toward ICE and the death of Alex Pretti, who worked as a nurse for the Department of Veterans Affairs at the time of his death on Saturday.

The shooting was the third by ICE in recent weeks, renewing calls by Minnesota leaders to remove federal agents from the city.

What Do Georgia Leaders Say?

U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock have both said they planned to reject the bill backed by the Trump administration.

"I will vote NO on the funding bill for Trump’s ICE," Warnock tweeted shortly after news broke of the deadly shooting. "They are killing Americans. Detaining children. Trampling our freedoms. We are losing our humanity. This is a defining moment for our nation. A moment for moral courage. We must stand together and say no."

Ossoff requested more civil liberties protections before approving the funding for ICE.

"Massively deployed and ill-trained federal forces are violating civil liberties with impunity and showing reckless disregard for life and property," he said in a statement. "Masked federal agents are detaining citizens without cause and raiding Americans' homes without a judge's warrant. A growing number of Americans have been assaulted or killed. This cannot be America. Democrats and Republicans alike must act to stop this spiraling chaos and protect our constitutional rights."

In a followup tweet on Tuesday, Ossoff said while Americans "deserve secure borders," every person "should be treated with dignity and respect."

He continued: "... These reports of unacceptable abuse and mistreatment shock the conscience and demand accountability."

What Happened?

The deadly shooting occurred around 9 a.m. CT Saturday. According to Homeland Security, an operation was held to target someone they say was undocumented and was wanted for "violent assault."

They accused the person, who they did not name on Saturday, of approaching Border Patrol officers with a 9-mm semi-automatic handgun.

The department said they tried to disarm the person, but "the armed suspect violently resisted."

An agent who was "fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers" shot the person, who was pronounced dead at the scene after medics arrived, Homeland Security said.

"The suspect also had two magazines and no ID—this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement. About 200 rioters arrived at the scene and began to obstruct and assault law enforcement on the scene, crowd control measures were deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement," Homeland Security said.

Warnock has accused President Donald Trump of transforming the "streets into a war zone," said Pretti's death was committed "execution style" and claimed "ICE has become a threat to our American freedoms."

CBS News reported Warnock was set to visit a memorial for Pretti and meet with faith leaders Tuesday in Minneapolis.

It appears no Democratic senators plan to vote "yes" in pushing the bill forward. Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, told The New York Times his party would not move the legislation along if the funding for Homeland Security is included.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the overall spending package after separately mulling over the Homeland Security measure, the media outlet reported. Seven House Democrats reportedly rejected it.