House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries drew sharp criticism from even CNN for his misguided and disruptive strategy of pushing a partial government shutdown, which only sows chaos across unrelated federal agencies while failing to address real issues—exposing his leadership as increasingly out-of-touch and counterproductive in the face of President Trump’s robust border funding achievements.
CNN Exposes Shutdown Strategy’s Weaknesses
During an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, host Dana Bash pressed Jeffries on the logic behind Democrats’ shutdown tactics, questioning how disrupting agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration, and Federal Aviation Administration—none of which focus on immigration—would actually “rein” in enforcement operations.
This comes despite President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act from July 2025, which allocated a whopping $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border security, plus $75 billion in supplemental funds for ICE, rendering Jeffries’ complaints about underfunding ring hollow.
Jeffries Clings to Controversial Demands
Undeterred, Jeffries insisted on embedding what he called “commonsense changes” into any DHS spending bill, stating: “Well, our plan is to get there on behalf of the American people. That’s why we need to press forward aggressively and ensure that there are legislative changes enacted as part of any DHS spending bill, because that’s the way that you change behavior.”
He elaborated: “And these are commonsense changes, things like mandatory body cameras. Judicial warrants should absolutely be required before ICE agents can storm private property and rip everyday Americans out of their homes in such a violent fashion.”
Jeffries continued: “Of course, we need to make sure that there are no masks, so that ICE is conducting itself like every other law enforcement agency in the country. That shouldn’t be controversial.”
He added: “It shouldn’t be controversial that we are demanding that the Fourth Amendment constitutional protections are adhered to as it relates to the way in which ICE is conducting itself.”
Finally, he emphasized: “We also need to make sure that state and local officials have the ability to conduct independent investigations, so that, when ICE or CBP or other officers violate the law, they can be investigated and prosecuted and held accountable for those violations of state and local law, not being able to govern themselves with impunity, which is the case right now.”
These demands have intensified amid protests in blue cities like Minneapolis following ICE-related incidents involving Renee Good and Alex Pretti, but critics argue they undermine effective enforcement.
Internal Democratic Splits Highlight Leadership Failures
Jeffries’ hardline stance has already caused rifts within his own party, with nearly two dozen Democrats defecting to support a comprehensive funding package that ended a four-day shutdown for most government operations—though DHS was left with only a temporary extension through Feb. 13.
Joined by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Gary Peters, and Sen. Patty Murray at a Feb. 4 press conference, Jeffries’ approach increasingly appears as political theater that risks alienating voters and weakening Democratic unity ahead of key battles.
