WASHINGTON (WOWO) —Indiana U.S. Senator Jim Banks says Congress is racing against the clock to prevent a partial government shutdown, warning that partisan fights over immigration enforcement—specifically funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement—are threatening to derail progress just days before the deadline.

Banks joined Fort Wayne’s Morning News with Kayla Blakeslee on Wednesday morning, calling in from Washington, D.C., after a grueling return trip that underscored the urgency of the week ahead.

“It took me 12 hours to get here yesterday,” Banks said. “I got back just in time to vote last night. But we have a lot to do this week. The government shuts down at the end of the week if we don’t pass the spending bill.”

A Narrow Window to Act

The Senate faces a Friday deadline to pass the remaining appropriations bills needed to fund parts of the federal government, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. While the House has already passed its version, Senate Democrats are threatening to block the package, citing concerns over ICE funding.

Banks explained that while Monday night’s vote was procedural and widely missed due to weather-related travel delays, the stakes will be much higher later this week.

“The big vote will be on Thursday to fund the government,” he said. “We’ve got to fund the government, not have another foolish government shutdown.”

Unlike the previous shutdown, which halted most federal operations, Banks noted this would be a partial shutdown, affecting six remaining appropriations packages—many tied directly to national security.

“These include homeland security and defense,” he said. “A lot of the really important matters that keep America moving and functioning and keep us safe are part of this next block of spending.”

ICE at the Center of the Fight

At the heart of the dispute is funding for ICE, which Banks says Democrats are using as leverage following a fatal incident involving ICE officers in Minneapolis over the weekend.

“Democrats are threatening to blow it up over ICE funding,” Banks said. “And let’s be very clear about what ICE has done in the first year of President Trump’s watch.”

Banks pointed to deportation and enforcement statistics he says highlight ICE’s role in public safety.

“We’ve seen almost a million illegals deported out of the United States,” he said. “Many of them have committed violent crimes or had criminal records. Over the past eight months, we’ve had zero illegals released back into the U.S. That’s a big departure from the catch-and-release policies of the Biden administration.”

He also emphasized drug enforcement at the southern border.

“We’ve seen a 56 percent decrease in fentanyl trafficking coming into the United States,” Banks said. “ICE and Border Patrol have been very involved in blocking fentanyl from coming into our country and killing Americans.”

Political Fallout After Minneapolis

While acknowledging the seriousness of the Minneapolis incident, Banks argued that it should not be used to justify halting funding for ICE operations nationwide.

“That tragic event will be investigated, as any police-involved shooting would be,” he said. “You take officers off the street, you investigate it, you give them an opportunity to defend themselves. But that’s no excuse for blocking funding for the valuable work ICE is doing.”

Banks went further, blaming Democratic rhetoric for what he described as a surge in threats and violence against ICE officers.

“You’ve had a 1,150 percent increase in violence against ICE law enforcement officers,” he said. “An 8,000 percent increase in death threats. A 1,300 percent increase in vehicle-ramming attacks.”

He added that public protests and confrontations are making it harder for officers to carry out their duties.

“These protesters are literally trying to block ICE from going out and finding criminals to get them off our streets,” Banks said. “It’s shameful.”

Is Bipartisanship Still Possible?

Despite the heated rhetoric, Banks suggested that a bipartisan path forward had existed—until recent events shifted the political calculus.

“This bill was going to pass,” he said. “There was bipartisan buy-in. It passed largely bipartisan in the House and had support in the Senate.”

Now, Banks believes some Democrats are responding more to pressure from their political base than to policy realities.

“They know what ICE is doing is important,” he said. “In any other universe, they would be fully supportive of it. But because they hate President Trump, and because of what happened over the weekend, their radical base is telling them to block funding.”

Banks compared the push to defund ICE to broader debates over policing.

“Defund ICE is defunding the police,” he said. “This is how radical this has become. I don’t think a lot of these Democrats really believe it in their hearts, but they’re pandering to their base.”

Countdown to Friday

With just days remaining before funding expires, Banks said he hopes cooler heads prevail.

“Hopefully they come to their senses,” he said. “We’ve got to do everything we can to keep these officers funded so they can keep doing their job and keep Americans safe.”

Banks will continue his weekly check-ins with Fort Wayne’s Morning News as negotiations unfold, with the next conversation scheduled for the same time next Wednesday—assuming the government remains open.