Live updates: Alex Pretti shot and killed by Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis, protests continue

The Capitol Building photographed in Washington, DC on January 14th.

Top Senate Democrats are expected to oppose funding for the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of the fatal shooting of a man by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis, raising fears of a partial government shutdown.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a social media post following the shooting that Senate Democrats would not provide the votes to advance the spending bill “if it includes a DHS funding bill.”

“Democrats called for common-sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because Republicans refused to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill falls woefully short on curbing ICE abuses,” Schumer said.

Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, who voted with Republicans to reopen the government last year, announced early Saturday that they would vote against the funding bill and called for further reforms to DHS and ICE.

Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Mark Warner of Virginia, widely expected to become the No. 2 Senate Democrat, also said they would not vote to fund DHS.

Earlier this week, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, another Democrat who voted in favor of ending the longest government shutdown last year, said in a statement that the funding measure should not be passed “without significant amendments” and called for “effective safeguards against ICE operations.”

The Senate has a midnight Friday deadline to pass the funding bill and avert a partial government shutdown. Sixty votes are needed to advance the funding package.

With Senate Republicans holding a 53-seat majority, Republican Sen. Rand Paul is likely to vote against the bill, and at least eight Democrats would need to vote for it to advance.

Other agencies that will be closed include the departments of defense, labor, health and human services, education, transportation, and housing and urban development.

This post has been updated with additional developments.

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