Is This the Real Reason Democrats Aren't Funding DHS?

On Monday night, Scott Jennings asked a simple question to a CNN panel, and it got me thinking. And what I thought about was quite disturbing.

The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down since Presidents' Day weekend. Democrats triggered it, and they've kept it going as a pressure campaign against the Trump administration's deportation agenda, specifically to hamstring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and use that as a cudgel to force policy changes in enforcement, most of which are absurd.

The Senate voted three separate times on DHS funding bills, and each time, Democrats blocked them — every single one, with the lone exception of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).

And now, we're at war with Iran. That hasn’t changed the Democrats’ calculus one bit, and when you look at the full picture of what’s going on, some uncomfortable questions come to mind.

"But does anyone here believe that we should keep the Department of Homeland Security — that's the name of it — indefinitely shut down to try to force ICE policy changes on an agency that's already funded until 2029,” Jennings asked.

He didn't stop there.

"When you acknowledge there are sleeper cells, when we all see radical Islamic terrorists throwing IEDs in New York City, when we saw a radical Muslim terrorist shoot up a bar in Austin, when we had tornadoes in Oklahoma and Michigan this weekend, when we have TSA lines of five hours in airports, we have all these things going on. Is it even remotely reasonable to keep it closed?”

No. Obviously not. But the more important question isn't whether it's reasonable. The question is why Democrats are doing it anyway, and whether it’s intentional.

Here's the thing — ICE is already funded. Republicans locked in billions for the agency last summer as part of their reconciliation package, and that funding runs through 2029. The shutdown does nothing to slow deportations. Nothing. So what exactly is the point?

That's where it gets uncomfortable. If this shutdown can't actually stop ICE, and Democrats know it, then what's the real play here?

The answer that keeps surfacing is a dark one. Democrats may be keeping DHS dark precisely because they see political opportunity in the chaos that may follow. Are Democrats counting on sleeper cells to activate and carry out attacks? Are Democrats counting on natural disasters to happen without the government being able to adequately respond?

After 9/11, the country unified behind President George W. Bush virtually overnight. You know as well as I do that won’t happen again if there’s another large-scale attack. Democrats know this, and appear to be acting accordingly. Not funding DHS won’t stop ICE, but it could make it harder to stop another large-scale attack. If that happens, Democrats won't rally around the flag. They'll point fingers at Trump.

The question is whether that’s the entire purpose behind the refusal to fund DHS.

They went to war with Iran (which nobody in America was asking for) so they could conjure an excuse to allow ICE to keep murdering Americans and teargassing schools here at home with impunity (which nobody in America was asking for). https://t.co/CHO8QIPYSM
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) March 1, 2026

I think that’s the play here. The demands Democrats propose for ICE were absurd and never going to be agreed to. So, in reality, with ICE actually funded through 2029, the only thing Democrats are actually accomplishing is leaving the homeland as exposed as possible heading into a period of maximum threat — and then use the wreckage for fundraising emails and cable news hits.

Democrats used to at least pretend to care about homeland security. Now they're treating the DHS like a bargaining chip at a poker table, gambling with the lives of Americans because they think the carnage that could result may help them win in November.

Would they really sink that low? Sadly, I think they would.

Want to support fearless journalism that exposes the Left and tells the stories the media won’t? PJ Media delivers the truth and holds the powerful accountable. Become a VIP member today—your support fuels our mission and unlocks exclusive content, podcasts, an ad-free experience, and more.

Use code FIGHT for 60% off. It's a great time to join our movement. Join now and stand for America-first journalism!