WASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) (ITALPRESS) – The Democrats at Congress and the White House have reached an agreement to avoid a partial closure of the federal government, guaranteeing temporary funding to the Department of Internal Security (DHS) while continuing negotiations on the immigration policies of the administration of President Donald Trump. The agreement arrives a few days after the expiry of the funds and after the block, by the Democrats, of the spending legislation that included the financing of the agency. As it emerged, the parties agreed to separate DHS funding from the rest of the spending package and to provide resources to the agency for two weeks. The solution maintains the essential functions of internal security – including border controls, transport safety and emergency response – avoiding shutdown immediately, but postpones the political confrontation on unresolved nodes. The decision matures in a climate of strong political and social tension, acute by the death of two protesters in Minneapolis during an operation conducted by federal agents.
The episode strengthened the position of the Democrats, asking for greater limits and controls on the activity of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including the mandatory use of bodycams, a more stringent supervision of Congress and operational restrictions in implementing immigration laws. President Trump greeted the agreement with a message on social media, stating that Republicans and Democrats “joined to finance the vast majority of the government until September”, while at the same time supporting the temporary extension of funds for national security. The head of the White House invited the MPs of both parties to vote in favour of the agreement, defining it a necessary step to ensure stability and administrative continuity.
Despite the understanding, political divisions remain profound. The Democrats reiterate that the free way to long-term financing of DHS will be possible only in the face of substantial changes to migration policies and the operational modes of federal agencies. From the Republican front, however, the resistance to any intervention that is perceived as a weakening of immigration security and control measures. The agreement therefore avoids the paralysis of a part of the federal administration immediately, but represents only a truce. In the next two weeks the Congress will be called to find a broader and more lasting solution for the financing of the Department of Homeland Security and the rest of the government, with the risk of a new political clash if negotiations were to arise.
– photo xp6/Italpress –
(ITALPRESS).
