Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) today spoke at a press conference following the passage of five appropriations bills and a continuing resolution for DHS. Leader Schumer called on Senate Republicans to join Democrats in making necessary changes to the DHS appropriations bill to rein in ICE operations, including ending roving patrols, enforcing accountability, and requiring agents to have visible identification and body cameras. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

For weeks, the American people have been trying to send a message to President Trump and Senate Republicans: ICE's thuggery must end. The images, the videos, the stories we have seen come out of Minneapolis and elsewhere have shocked America from one end of the country to the other. After not one, but two American citizens were killed by federal agents in the last two weeks, the nation is reaching a breaking point. People are hurting, people are afraid, people are angry. The American people are demanding Congress step up and force change.

This weekend, Senate Democrats joined the American people in demanding real change when it comes to ICE and its behavior. On Saturday night, I announced we would not provide the votes to proceed to government funding and to the government funding bill if the DHS funding bill was included. Some may have thought we were not serious, that this was mere theater and business could proceed as usual. Well, as snow fell across Washington on Sunday, Republicans announced they would continue as planned with their government funding bill. They thought they could stonewall us. They thought we would not have the resolve. But undeterred, we held our ground and made clear our demand: the Senate must separate the Homeland Security bill out of the large appropriations bill and allow this chamber to make real changes to overhaul ICE and to end the violence.

Some may have thought they could ignore us, confident the news cycle would change, and the public outrage would fade. Those people were wrong. They underestimated our resolve. They dismissed our unity. Yesterday, Republicans tried once more to push forward the full funding package through the Senate with zero ICE reforms. Democrats unanimously, unaniousmly voted no. We were strong and we're united. With our votes, we helped deliver the message of change on behalf of millions and millions of Americans who have risen up and supported their neighbors and who have implored their government to stop tormenting their communities.

Let me be clear, because of Democratic unity, the Senate was forced to change course. Republicans had to negotiate with us to pass any bill. They had to listen to the American people calling out for change. The bottom line, the agreement we reached today did precisely what Democrats wanted. It separated DHS from the other funding bills so we can overhaul DHS to rein in ICE and end the violence. Now there are two steps to this whole process. First, separate the bills, which gave us the ability to fund 96 percent of the government while letting us now focus on overhauling the DHS bill. That was step one. Step two is now drafting strong, common-sense legislation that reins in ICE and ends the violence.

I want my colleagues to listen closely. I want my Republican colleagues to listen closely. Senate Democrats will not support a DHS bill unless it reins in ICE and ends the violence. What are we demanding? These are our three objectives. One, ending the roving patrols. Two, enforce accountability. Three, masks off, body cameras on, no secret police. Every officer must have clear identification. Those are our three objectives. And there will be specifics under each of those. We will know soon enough if our colleagues understand the stakes, if they understand how serious we are. The American people want change. Senate Democrats want change.

If our colleagues are not willing to enact real change, they should not expect Democratic votes. Let me say that again. If our colleagues are not willing to enact real change, real strong change, they should not expect Democratic votes. We have only a few days to deliver real progress for the American people. The eyes of the nation are watching. I hope Republicans get serious or they will learn once again they will not have our votes.

The bottom line is very simple. The American people are crying out for change. They see what's happening on our streets. They see the thugs. They see the goons. They see people being shot and killed. They see people being punched and pushed around and treated like garbage when they're American citizens, when they're here legally, when they're people on the streets. They want it stopped. We want it stopped. This is not America. Not America. And when you see those images, you know that something is dramatically wrong and it must change. We are fighting to change it. Will our Republican colleagues join us?

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Reporter: Leader Schumer, how do you anticipate the next two weeks to go? Will you negotiate with the White House? Have you had those conversations? Essentially, how will you make sure that these provisions end up in the final meeting?

Leader Schumer: Look, we intend to negotiate with Leader Thune. You need - we will need - in the Senate, a majority of votes, 60 votes, to pass the Homeland Security bill through the Senate. So we expect to negotiate with them. And it's on them. We're ready. We have a very, we have a strong group of proposals. They're common sense. They're what the American people want us to do. It's on them.

Reporter: Thank you, Leader Schumer. Lindsey Graham has been very vocal over the last day or so. He said that, in his opinion, the root cause of everything we're seeing in Minneapolis is open border policies under the Biden administration. He said Democrats are vilifying all ICE agents over a couple of incidents that he said obviously need to be investigated. What's your response to that?

Schumer: Lindsey Graham ought to talk to the American people and see how they feel.

Reporter: If this falls apart, are you willing to break apart the DHS funding bill to fund TSA, FEMA and separate -

Schumer: We're not engaging hypotheticals. We want the Republicans to join us so that we can pass strong, bipartisan legislation that curbs ICE, stops the violence, reins it in. That's what the American, why are we in such a strong position here? Not because of us. It's because what the American people want and demand. Why did the Republicans have to, after saying they would never go along with our desire to divide the bills, why did they have to go along? Three words. The American people.

Reporter: Are you seeing any signs from Thune, or Trump, or others, that they're willing to reach an agreement?

Schumer: Well, the fact that they came and said we're going to do it your way because you wouldn't, you know, because we blocked them their way shows, I think the Republicans, Trump and the Republicans know that this is an issue where they're on the wrong side of the American people and it really matters. And my guess is a whole lot of Republicans don't want to see these roving bands of goons and thugs invade city after city, after city, after city. So, I believe they know it's in their own interest as well as the American people's interest to curb this. Whether they have the guts to do it, whether they have the strength to do it, we shall see.

Reporter: Thank you, Leader Schumer. Have you been in communication with House Democratic Leadership? And did Hakeem Jeffries sign on to the 2 week DHS CR?

Schumer: Well, this bill was negotiated by, in the Senate, by Thune and me. But I've talked to Hakeem Jeffries. For instance, we talked about how long a CR should be, because we wanted to limit it greatly, and we agreed on two weeks.

Reporter: On your requirement for the masks off, several Republicans -

Schumer: On the requirement for the?

Reporter: The de-masking. The masks of agents.

Schumer: Yes.

Reporter: Several Republicans have raised concern about that because they say agents are being doxxed and that's why they're wearing these masks because they don't want to be doxxed.

Schumer: Look, the whole ICE needs discipline, training, etc. Given the brutality, given everything they've done, we need real ID, plain and simple. And to have a law enforcement officer with no ID pick someone up, throw them in a dark room, and they don't even know who they are? We don't even know if they're law enforcement agents? So, we have to have real ID, plain and simple.

Reporter: Leader Schumer, you talked about these three priorities broadly. How will Democrats develop more specific proposals and which Democrats are going to be taking the lead on this?

Schumer: Look, we're going to have a group of Democrats negotiate. We're going to have to negotiate with the Republicans to get this done. But as we've said over and over again, they shouldn't expect our votes if they're not willing to go along with strong legislation.

Reporter: Even if these reforms pass, ICE still has $75 billion. I know that all of you voted to repeal it. Susan Collins and Murkowski voted to repeal it. How do you assure the American people, especially the American people, that these reforms will actually be meaningful, but ICE still has $75 billion to play with?

Schumer: Well, one of the things we want to do is to make sure that the reforms we have apply to all the money that ICE is now spending, no matter where it comes from.

Reporter: Just in terms of getting these demands, do you have any direct conversations with President Trump while you were negotiating this and do you intend to engage him over these next few weeks. Do you want to sit down with him to try -

Schumer: Look, we need Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to pass this, so I'm going to talk to Thune. Whatever he wants to say to Trump and whatever, you know, if Trump can be constructive, great. But I mean, right now, Trump is being destructive. It's his force. It's his ICE force. It's his roving band of thugs going across the cities. Thune and I are the two leads on the negotiation. Okay?

Reporter: From a practical standpoint, funding is going to lapse at the end of today for a weekend or three days or whatever. I was wondering, for Americans that are really confused as to what that means, what does that mean? Is the government actually going to shut down? Are there going to be any effects for Americans here? Are you able to explain that so that people understand what is about to happen for the next three days?

Senator Brian Schatz: Unless Chuck knows the answer to that at the technical level, I would honestly defer to OMB because I'm not sure how it actually operates.

Schumer: It's the Trump administration. Ask them.

Reporter: You saw two Republicans vote with you to try to rescind the $75 billion for ICE that would look to be part of the legislation. Given that you have a little bit of a Republican behind you, do you expect that to be at all part of these conversations?

Schumer: Well, look, we expect that our Republicans will join us in every part of the conversation. But as has been made clear by the three of us, plain and simple, it's up to them to get our votes to join us. It's on their back. We're ready. We know what we want. We think the American people very much want it. The end of the roving patrols, the enforced accountability, and masks off, body cameras on. No secret police. Secret police in America? What the heck is going on? Ok? Thank you everybody.

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