House Speaker Mike Johnson this week rejected the prospect of requiring judicial warrants for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as Congress quarrels over the appropriations bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

The Senate approved a funding package last week to pass five of the remaining six appropriations bills, with a continuing resolution for the DHS package. The House has yet to approve that plan, though debate on the DHS bill is expected to persist past the vote.

Democrats have sought concessions on immigration enforcement in the wake of the death of anti-ICE demonstrator Alex Pretti during a physical altercation with Border Patrol in Minneapolis. Johnson, for his part, rejected increased warrant requirements as an "unworkable proposal."

“Adding a whole new layer of judicial warrant requirements is an unworkable proposal,” he said. “And I think the people who are making that suggestion understand that.”

ICE currently does not need warrants to make arrests, which have resulted in roughly 700,000 physical deportations since Trump returned to the White House.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.