Trump border czar dismisses Democratic demands to reform ICE

By Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - White House border czar Tom Homan on Sunday brushed off Democratic demands to reform ICE amid mounting backlash over the agency's tactics and a partisan deadlock over homeland security funding.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers doubled down on their calls for changes to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, even as Republicans accused them of grandstanding by refusing to back a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security.

• On CBS News' "Face the Nation" program, Homan called Democratic legislators' ICE demands "unreasonable" while stressing that he personally was not part of the discussions over a bill to fund Homeland Security in exchange for reforming ICE.

• Democrats sent a list of 10 demands to the top Republican lawmakers in Congress earlier this month that included ICE halting racial profiling in its policing, prohibiting masks and stopping officers from entering private homes without a judicial warrant.

• Homan denied that ICE officers engage in racial profiling, saying they make stops based on "reasonable suspicion." A Supreme Court ruling last year allowed officers to use factors such as brown skin or speaking Spanish as grounds for a stop.

• Homan said ICE officers need masks to hide their identities for protection although opponents note that the vast majority of U.S. law enforcement officers work without them.

• DHS entered a partial shutdown on Saturday, but largely continues to operate since most of its functions are deemed essential.

• On "Fox News Sunday," U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, credited "outcry from Americans" for convincing the White House to negotiate over ICE now even though DHS still has funding for some time.

• Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma told CNN's "State of the Union" that Democrats are engaging in "political theater" and are not negotiating in good faith.

• Talks between Democrats and Republicans could remain stalled as both chambers of Congress will be on break this week.