The Daily — "The Government Shutdown Fight Over Immigration"

Date: February 13, 2026
Host: Michael Barbaro
Guest: Michael Gold, New York Times Congressional Reporter

Overview

This episode explores the unique circumstances surrounding the imminent U.S. government shutdown—one that affects only a single agency: the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Host Michael Barbaro and reporter Michael Gold break down the roots of this standoff, driven by mounting outrage over fatal incidents involving federal immigration agents, and examine how the fight over a narrow sliver of government funding has become a referendum on immigration enforcement and accountability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A "Fractional" Government Shutdown

• Context: Unlike previous shutdowns affecting the entire government or multiple agencies, this shutdown centers solely on DHS—about 4% of government spending.
• Quote:

  "At 12:01am on Saturday morning, the Department of Homeland Security is going to shut down...a single agency shutdown, a one agency shutdown."
  — Michael Gold [01:39]

2. Why This Shutdown Is Happening

• Appropriations Shift:
  Congressional Republicans prioritized passing individual departmental funding bills instead of large, all-in-one packages for transparency and negotiation on policy details.
• Trigger Events:
  Two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents—Renee Goode and Alex Preddy, both in Minnesota—sparked outrage, especially after widely circulated video footage of the second killing.
• Democrats' Response:
  Democrats sought more stringent accountability measures for DHS, especially for ICE and Border Patrol, as part of funding negotiations.

3. Evolution of Democratic Demands

• Initial Compromises:
  Included $20 million for body cameras and enhanced officer training on use of force—considered a "pretty good compromise" by Democrats until the second incident.

  "They know they didn't get everything they wanted, but they feel like this is a pretty good compromise."
  — Michael Gold [04:18]

• Tougher Stance Post-Preddy Incident:
  Following the killing of Alex Preddy, Democrats unified around the need for "serious new restrictions."
  • Senator Patty Murray and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer withdrew support, demanding more significant reforms.
  • Notable Quote:

    "Enough is enough. What ICE is doing outside the law is state sanctioned thuggery and it must stop."
    — Michael Barbaro, summarizing Democratic sentiment [06:00]

4. New Accountability Demands

• Key Requests:
  1. Federal officers must visibly show identification.
  2. No more use of masks to hide identities.
  • Aimed at “accountability, transparency,” hoping visible identities would deter misconduct.
• Republican & White House Response:
  Firm rejection, arguing agents need anonymity due to threats and potential harassment.

5. Dramatic Congressional Hearings

• Tactic:
  Democrats leveraged congressional hearings to grill heads of ICE and Border Patrol, pressing for apologies, accountability, and investigations.
  • Memorable Exchange:

    "Will you apologize to the family of Renee Goode for being called a domestic terrorist by the president?"
    — Congressional Democrat [08:22]
    "No, sir. Why not?"
    — Congressional Democrat [08:31] "They were executed like Kristi Noem executed her dog. And that was wrong."
    — Congressional Democrat [09:06]

6. Limitations of the Shutdown as a Tactic

• ICE/Border Patrol Funding:
  Past Republican-backed legislation (“one big beautiful bill”) gave $75B to ICE and $45B to CBP with few restrictions—funds that remain available despite a shutdown.

  "Even with the shutdown, ICE and Border Protection can use that money to keep doing what they're doing."
  — Michael Gold [12:31]

• Who Gets Hurt:
  Shutdown affects other agencies under DHS (FEMA, TSA, Coast Guard, Secret Service, cybersecurity), likely causing public frustration over delayed or reduced essential services.

  "If people have to wait in longer lines at airports, if the public’s mad about that, the politics really start to change."
  — Michael Gold [13:32]

7. Democratic Strategy and Risks

• Modeling on Past Shutdowns:
  Democrats see political value in demonstrating opposition, as with previous health care-focused shutdown, despite limited substantive policy concessions.
• Polling:
  Voters appear sympathetic to Democrats' concerns about overreach by ICE/CBP, especially after the Minnesota incidents.
• Risk:
  Democratic lawmakers could potentially lose resolve if public pain grows, as happened during the health care shutdown when some Senators broke ranks.
• Potential Republican Counter-Offensive:
  Opportunity for President Trump to frame Democrats as "weak on illegal immigration."

  “The act of trying to defund ICE, even if it doesn’t end up defunding ICE, might make the case for the president and for the public that Democrats are out of sync with the country.”
  — Michael Barbaro [17:41]

8. Possibility of Compromise

• White House Signal:
  Announced plan to wind down immigration enforcement "surge" in Minneapolis, possibly as a signal toward negotiation.
• Outlook:
  Both sides remain entrenched, but Senate Republicans and the White House see some room for a deal excluding identification/mask rules.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Democratic Resolve:

  “A lot of Democrats who yielded to strike that deal with Republicans know that a lot of attention is on them right now.”
  — Michael Gold [16:17]

• On Political Risks:

  "But the question is whether voters will fully embrace the nuance that Democrats are trying to present. And it's an election year, so we will find out by November whether this worked in Democrats’ favor."
  — Michael Gold [18:44]

• On Shutdown Limitations:

  “Like many government departments, there are a lot of agencies under this one… [the shutdown] might actually hurt services that many people have come to depend on.”
  — Michael Gold [10:19]

Segment Timestamps

• [01:39] — Explanation of the “one agency” shutdown
• [03:39] — Democrats’ reaction after fatal immigration agent shootings
• [05:15] — Democrats demand stronger restrictions after Alex Preddy’s death
• [06:00] — Democratic leaders intensify their stance
• [07:05] — New demands: officer identification and end to mask use
• [08:16-09:12] — Tense congressional hearings and political theater
• [12:05] — Why shutdown doesn’t starve ICE/CBP of funding
• [13:08] — Impact on FEMA, TSA, Coast Guard, Secret Service
• [14:10] — Democrats’ playbook for shutdowns
• [16:17] — Risks for Democratic leadership if public sentiment shifts
• [17:21] — Hint of potential compromise from White House
• [17:41] — Political risks highlighted by Michael Barbaro

Summary

This episode dissects the roots and implications of the first-ever single-agency federal shutdown, revealing how tragic incidents involving immigration agents have transformed a technical budget battle into a highly charged fight over the scope and accountability of immigration enforcement. Democrats are leveraging public outrage to demand reforms, risking possible backlash if the shutdown impacts vital services or allows Republicans to paint them as soft on immigration. With both sides deeply entrenched and an election looming, the outcome will shape not just policy but the broader political narrative heading into November.