WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate may have found a way to avoid a prolonged federal shutdown over the harsh immigration enforcement tactics deployed in Minneapolis and other cities.

Senate Democrats held up funding for a large swath of the government this week, demanding reforms in the way federal agencies pursue enforcement. Their insistence follows widespread outrage over the death of a second American citizen in Minneapolis Saturday.

They reached an agreement with the White House and Republican leaders Thursday that could keep the government funded while the final bill is ironed out.

As news of the agreement broke, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she didn’t know the specifics, but she agreed with many of the reforms Democrats have asked for, such as de-escalation training for enforcement officers and requiring them to get warrants to enter homes.

“This can’t just be kind of a fishing expedition, where you’re hoping you find somebody in the home but you haven’t been able to identify them,” she said.

(She didn’t specify whether they have to be judicial orders, as Democrats want, or whether administrative warrants will suffice.)

Likewise, she also wants to end roving patrols.

“We don’t just wander the street, hoping that you can find somebody that you think perhaps looks suspicious, and you grab and you ask questions later,” she said. “That is not what we do in this country.”

Sen. Dan Sullivan said that he, too, supports changes in enforcement operations. He mentioned body cameras and de-escalation training, which are in the funding bill the House has already passed.

“I think ICE needs to revise its tactics and techniques,” he said. “We don’t want, you know — my view is any civilians having the tragic deaths that we saw.”

He took a question about immigration enforcement during a press call on an unrelated subject. Sullivan didn’t say how he felt about ending roving patrols but said he’d look at the provisions in the negotiated bill.

“I’m always up for reforms that can make it safer for Americans and our law enforcement,” he said.

The Senate was expected to pass the funding bills Thursday night, but several Republican senators objected, so a vote is now expected Friday, at the earliest.

One of the bills, for the Department of Homeland Security, is a stop-gap, to keep the department going while the final bill with the enforcement reforms is prepared. The House has to pass the bills, too. The current funding expires on Saturday, so at least a short lapse in funding is likely.

This story has been updated to reflect that the expected Senate vote did not occur Thursday.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The U.S. Coast Guard is considering homeporting up to four additional icebreakers in Alaska as part of a major expansion of its Arctic presence, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday told lawmakers during a U.S. Senate hearing Thursday.

Lunday made the comments while testifying before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries, chaired by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, who has pushed for increased federal investment in Arctic security and maritime infrastructure.

“One of the first ones that I want them to present, among a range of options for consideration [and] decision, [to] me in consultation with Secretary Noem is for homeporting up to four icebreakers in Alaska,” Lunday said, adding that the Coast Guard is developing options for consideration as part of its long-term planning.

The potential expansion would draw from a fleet of 11 Arctic Security Cutters announced under the U.S.-Finland Icebreaker Agreement and the ICE Pact, and international framework aimed at strengthening icebreaking capacity among allied nations.

Funding for at least three Arctic Security Cutters, along with the infrastructure to support them, was approved through the Working Families Tax Cut Act, a sweeping budget reconciliation measure that includes roughly $25 billion for Coast Guard modernization, the largest investment in the service’s history.

The funding package also includes money for the new cutters, aircraft and helicopters, as well as billions of dollars to repair and replace aging shore facilities nationwide.

Sullivan said the investments are critical as the Coast Guard faces growing demands across multiple regions while operating an aging fleet.

“The Coast Guard is being asked to do more across every theater,” Sullivan said, pointing to counter-drug operations enforcement against sanctioned vessels, Indo-Pacific missions, search-and-rescue operations, and efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The Coast Guard currently operates a limited number of icebreakers, one of which has experienced prolonged mechanical issues. Sullivan cited a growing capability gap with other Arctic nations, including Russia, which operates dozens of ice-capable vessels.

In addition to potential new icebreakers, Alaska is set to receive a range of Coast Guard assets and infrastructure upgrades, including funding for cutters, helicopters, aircraft, housing and shore facilities. A new Coast Guard pier in Juneau is already under development to support expanded Arctic and Pacific operations, and the polar icebreaker Storis is expected to homeport there.

Lunday voiced support for expanding Alaska’s shipbuilding and maintenance capabilities, particularly in Southeast and Southcentral Alaska, saying partnerships with private industry could improve efficiency and readiness.

The Coast Guard’s expanded presence is intended to strengthen maritime safety, national security, maritime safety and environmental response capabilities across Alaska’s vast coastline, according to Sullivan.

No final decision has been made of the homeporting of additional icebreakers, but Lunday said Alaska is under active consideration as the Coast Guard evaluated its future Arctic posture and presence.

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