Democrats, White House Trade Offers in DHS Standoff

Democrats in Congress have sent the White House a new proposal outlining their suggested limits on federal immigration enforcement as part of negotiations to restore funding for the Department of Homeland Security, but no agreement has been reached.

Funding for DHS lapsed at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, and both sides have kept the details of their latest offers confidential.

The New York Times reported that top Democrats have publicly described their priorities, including limits on masked immigration officers, ending what they describe as random sweeps, requiring judicial warrants for certain actions, and designating "sensitive locations" such as churches, schools, hospitals, and polling places as off-limits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"These are common sense," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told CNN. "Police departments across America use them. We have a rogue agency.

"Why don't we rein them in? That's what the American people are asking Republicans."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., also called for stricter oversight.

"We need change that is dramatic, that is bold, that is meaningful and that is transformational," Jeffries said on CBS. "For instance, judicial warrants should be required before ICE agents can storm private property or rip everyday Americans out of their homes."

The White House has not publicly detailed its counteroffer.

People familiar with the talks told the Times that administration officials have resisted several demands by Democrats and sought more authority, including increased penalties for those who publish personal information about immigration officers.

Some Republicans have also pushed for changes to state and local policies that limit cooperation with federal authorities.

Tom Homan, President Donald Trump's border czar, defended current practices and addressed concerns about officers wearing masks.

"When it comes to masks, I don't know of another law enforcement agency in the country that has an 8,000% increase in threats," Homan said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "Just yesterday, the director of ICE, his wife, was filmed walking to work.

"His home address has been doxed. His kids have been doxed and filmed."

With Congress in recess, lawmakers would need to return to Washington to approve any funding agreement.

Many DHS employees remain on the job, though prolonged negotiations could affect pay and operations.

Trump is scheduled to address Congress next week with his State of the Union speech, with the dispute potentially unresolved.

Democrats, White House Trade Offers in DHS Standoff | Newsmax.com

Iran signals nuclear progress in Geneva as Trump calls for full dismantlement

Negotiations between the United States and Iran advanced Tuesday toward what Tehran described as the beginning of a potential framework, but sharp public divisions between the two sides underscored how far apart they remain.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the two sides reached a "general agreement on a number of guiding principles" and agreed to begin drafting text for a possible agreement, with plans to exchange drafts and schedule a third round of talks. 

"Good progress was made compared to the previous meeting," he said, adding that while drafting would slow the process, "at least the path has started."

Yet Washington publicly has insisted that any agreement must result in the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program — including its enrichment capacity — along with limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile program and an end to its support for allied militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Those demands go well beyond temporary enrichment pauses or technical adjustments.

Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appeared to push back directly against that premise, signaling a firm ceiling on Iran’s concessions. 

"The Americans say, ‘Let’s negotiate over your nuclear energy, and the result of the negotiation is supposed to be that you do not have this energy!’" he wrote on social media as talks were underway. "If that’s the case, there is no room for negotiation."

Khamenei’s remarks suggest that while Iranian negotiators may be discussing limits or interim measures, Iran is unlikely to accept an agreement that eliminates its nuclear program outright — setting up a direct collision with the Trump administration’s insistence on dismantlement.

"Progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss," according to a U.S. official. "The Iranians said they would come back in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions."

President Donald Trump said Monday he would be watching the talks closely.

The mistrust runs deep. 

Iranian officials have pointed to U.S. military strikes on their nuclear facilities in June 2025 as part of the broader backdrop complicating diplomacy, arguing such actions demonstrate Washington’s willingness to use force even as negotiations unfold.

Behind the diplomatic push, the United States has significantly expanded its military footprint in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in the Arabian Sea, and F-35 fighter jets from the carrier shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone recently after it approached the strike group — a move U.S. officials described as demonstrating low tolerance for provocations.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, is now transiting toward the Middle East. President Trump confirmed the deployment on Feb. 13, saying, "In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it." Reports indicate a third carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, is being prepared for possible expedited deployment, which would create a rare three-carrier U.S. presence near Iranian waters.

The buildup extends beyond naval forces. A squadron of F-35A Lightning II aircraft landed at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom earlier in February as a staging point for potential deployment to the Middle East, while satellite imagery shows additional U.S. aircraft — including F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10 Thunderbolts — positioned at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

Logistics flights into the region have also surged. 

More than 100 C-17 cargo aircraft have arrived since late January, transporting advanced air defense systems, including Patriot and THAAD batteries, to bases in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to defense tracking data.

At the same time, Iran’s leadership has paired diplomatic engagement with forceful warnings. 

Khamenei said the United States could be "struck so hard that it cannot get up again," and a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy declared the country is prepared to close the Strait of Hormuz if ordered — a move that could disrupt roughly one-fifth of global oil flows through the strategic waterway.

Despite the heightened rhetoric and military signaling, Iranian officials said talks would continue, framing the Geneva discussions as a step toward a possible agreement — even as the fundamental dispute over dismantlement versus preservation of Iran’s nuclear capabilities remains unresolved.

Read more : US Iran nuclear talks advance toward potential framework in Geneva | Fox News