AMNA NAWAZ: A partial government shutdown is# under way.

And with Congress out this week## and unlikely to return until next week, many# employees of agencies under the Department of## Homeland Security will continue working# without pay for the foreseeable future.

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New# York is the top Democrat in the House,## and I spoke with him this afternoon.

Leader Jeffries, welcome back to the# "News Hour."

Thanks for joining us.

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Good to be with you.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, without a funding deal.. we're in day three of another partial government# shutdown.

We kno.. so does that mean that a shutdown# is going to last at least that long?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Well, as# Democrats, we continue to be ready,## willing, and able to sit down# with our Republican colleagues## any time, anyplace in order to make# sure that we can get ICE under control.

The American people deserve to have# their taxpayer dollars used to make## their life more affordable and# not to brutalize or kill them,## as was tragically the case with# Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

And we simply believe, as a value proposition,# that immigration enforcement in this country,## it should be fair, it should be just, and it# should be humane.

Donald Trump promised to target## violent felons who are here illegally.

Instead,# ICE has been targeting law-abiding immigrant## families and brutalizing American communities.# That's unacceptable, and that needs to change.

AMNA NAWAZ: In terms of where talks are# to get to some kind of deal, though,## we know Democrats put forward a list of demands# last week.

We saw a senior White House official## on Thursday say that Democrats had rejected# what they called their latest counterproposal.

So, for folks who are already out# there working without pay right now,## what can you tell them about how much closer# you are to a deal today compared to last week?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: It's very fortunate that# Republicans have decided that they would prefer## to shut down FEMA, shut down the Coast Guard, and# shut down TSA, as opposed to actually getting ICE## under control, reining them in, because the# American people know they have gone too far,## and ensure that ICE and CBP behave like every# other law enforcement agency in the country.

That's the objective that we are trying# to achieve.

Now, there are several things,## commonsense, strong proposals that we have put on# the table that to date Republicans have rejected,## including a requirement that# judicial warrants be obtained## before ICE agents can storm the homes of# the American people or private property.

We also believe that ICE agents,# of course, should be trained,## should have a excessive use of force policy that# they adhere to, and that they shouldn't be able## to target sensitive locations like schools and# hospitals, houses of worship, and polling sites.

And we finally believe, of course, in terms of# some of the top-line demands that we have made,## is that there should be independent investigations## whenever it is the case that ICE agents# or CBP agents break state and local law.

AMNA NAWAZ: Leader Jeffries, we# have reported extensively on,## I know, the Democrats' demands on# this case, but are you any closer## to a deal?

Have you talked to the# White House in the last three days?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: I haven't had# direct conversation with the White## House.

My understanding, Donald Trump was down# in Florida on the golf course yesterday, which## is exactly what we saw from the president during# the 43-day Trump Republican shutdown, a lack of## seriousness as it relates to direct engagement# between House Democrats and Senate Democrats.

And as I have indicated, though there# are staff-to-staff conversations,## there have not been any principal-level# discussions to date, either with the White## House or with House and Senate Republican leaders.

AMNA NAWAZ: Can I put to you what your fellow# Democrat Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania## has said about where things are?

He pointed# out that the shutdown really is not going to## have an impact on ICE, which saw a huge influx of# funding from that so-called Big Beautiful Bill.

He said, what's really doing, as you have# pointed out too, is forcing TSA workers to## work without pay.

FEMA could also be affected.# So if ICE reforms are what you want to see here,## how does a shutdown that doesn't# really affect the agency get you there?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: First of all, we have until# the end of the month to make sure that TSA agents## don't miss a single paycheck, and that is# our commitment as Democrats.

And we need,## of course, Republicans to join us with respect# to TSA, along with the Coast Guard and FEMA,## the other agencies that are part of# the Department of Homeland Security.

John Fetterman, of course, he# knows that the one big ugly bill,## which every single Democrat and every single# -- in the House and the Senate voted against,## was an egregious piece of legislation that# both ripped away Medicaid from about 14## million Americans, a trillion-dollar cut to# Medicaid, the largest in American history.

It stole food from the mouths of hungry children,# seniors, and veterans with a $186 billion cut to## SNAP, which also happens to be the largest# in American history, and then used that## money to provide massive tax breaks to the GOP's# billionaire donors and to create this $75 billion## slush fund for untrained and masked ICE agents to# be violently unleashed in American communities.

So, yes, we do have to address the# dynamics related to the one big ugly bill,## but, at this moment, in the context of the# appropriations battle that is in front of us,## we have an opportunity to make bold,# transformational, and meaningful changes in## the law that will actually immediately impact how# ICE agents are permitted to conduct themselves.

AMNA NAWAZ: That's House Democratic# Leader Hakeem Jeffries joining us today.

Leader Jeffries, thank you.# Good to speak with you.

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Thank you.