The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis is intensifying the possibility of a federal government shutdown as New Jersey lawmakers ready for a fight over immigration enforcement funding.
U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim (D-NJ) say they’ll vote against a spending bill that includes billions of dollars for the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A failure to draw 60 Senate votes by Friday may trigger a partial government shutdown just months after a 43-day freeze, the longest in U.S. history
The House last week narrowly passed its version, including roughly $10 billion for ICE.
New Jersey Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8th) voted against the Homeland Security portion of the legislation and says the funding goes in the wrong direction.
“ICE is out of control. DHS is out of control,” Menendez said in an interview with NJ Spotlight News. “There’s no accountability, and they’ve been given an immense amount of money. They don’t need more funding. They need accountability.”
Menendez on Jan. 16 traveled to Minneapolis for a House Democrats field hearing after Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mom of three, was shot to death by ICE. The Pretti shooting on Jan. 24, also by ICE agents, has renewed scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics. While some progressive Democrats have called for abolishing ICE, Menendez said his focus is on reform.
“They don’t need to be abolished,” he said. “But with what this administration is doing, there’s been irreparable damage. If DHS is unwilling to reform and provide accountability, then we have to think about a complete restructuring.”
Seven House Democrats on Jan. 22 voted in favor of the spending bill, arguing that striking it would give President Donald Trump’s administration more shutdown leverage. Menendez rejected that argument, saying public opinion has shifted sharply against Trump’s immigration policies.
“The American people are on our side,” he said. “They gave the president the benefit of the doubt early on, but what they’ve seen since the start of his second term is beyond what was sold on the campaign trail.”
Menendez cited incidents involving U.S. citizens and children as evidence that enforcement has gone far beyond targeting violent criminals. He pointed to ICE data showing that more than 70% of detainees in New Jersey have no criminal records, while only a small fraction have violent convictions.
“What we’re seeing is not targeted enforcement,” he said. “We’re seeing Black and brown communities being targeted. This is un-American.”
Menendez said coordination across all levels of government will be critical, and he praised local actions like Jersey City’s Jan. 24 executive order strengthening protections for immigrant residents.
“If this administration wants to push back, we’re Jersey,” Menendez said. “And I’m ready for that fight.”
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