House conservatives are raising red flags about a deal struck between President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that separates Department of Homeland Security funding until February, warning it could undermine Republican negotiating power on immigration enforcement just as the administration ramps up its mass deportation agenda.
The agreement, designed to avert a government shutdown, has sparked concern among GOP hardliners who view DHS funding as critical leverage to force Democrats into supporting tougher border security measures. With the agency responsible for implementing Trump's immigration crackdown now facing a February funding cliff, some Republicans worry they've lost their strongest bargaining chip.
Fox News Politics highlighted the growing conservative unrest, reporting that "House Republicans say the deal to avert a shutdown weakens GOP leverage on immigration enforcement, with DHS funding now set to expire in February." The outlet's Mike Emanuel echoed these concerns on social media, amplifying warnings from House conservatives about the Trump-Schumer arrangement.
"GOP LEVERAGE LOST: House conservatives warn Trump's deal with Schumer to separate DHS funding until February undercuts Republican negotiating power on immigration enforcement,"
The pushback reveals a rare moment of tension between Trump's pragmatic deal-making and the conservative base that helped propel him back to the White House. Senate conservatives, led by Senators Rick Scott and Mike Lee, are already working to "sink the Senate-passed government funding package in the House," according to political observer Gordon Carrico, who noted they're "warning that it threatens to leave DHS unfunded while doing little to rein in the growth in federal spending."
This internal GOP friction comes at a crucial time for the Trump administration, which has made mass deportation and border security central pillars of its second-term agenda. With Secretary Kristi Noem leading DHS and the administration promising unprecedented immigration enforcement, conservatives argue that separating the agency's funding gives Democrats unnecessary leverage to obstruct Trump's plans.
The question now facing Republicans is whether Trump's deal-making instincts will ultimately serve the America First agenda, or if conservative warnings about lost leverage will prove prophetic when February's funding deadline arrives.