DHS funding stalemate thaws as White House sends Democrats 'serious' counteroffer

"Yesterday, the White House made another serious counteroffer," a White House official told Fox News Digital. "Democrats need to make a move to end the shutdown before more Americans are harmed by a lack of funding for critical services like disaster relief."

With lawmakers away from Washington, D.C., for the weekend, the shutdown will stretch into a third week.

The latest development comes after a week of stalled negotiations between Senate Democrats and the administration, along with concerns that an off-ramp from the shutdown remained out of reach.

Congressional Democrats have spent much of the week accusing the White House of not taking the negotiations seriously, while Republicans contend their counterparts are asking for too much.

"It seems like the Democrats concluded this is maybe good politics for them. It's not for the people whose lives are affected on a daily basis," Thune said earlier this week. "So, we'll keep pressing to try and get folks to the table. But I think the White House - you know - they continue to exchange paper and trade paper and all that, and hopefully they'll find a sweet spot."

Democrats want stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including requiring agents to obtain judicial warrants and identify themselves during enforcement actions, changes Republicans and the administration say are red lines.

"And no one has ever explained why there should be only one police force in the entire country that should not have to follow the same kind of rules as everyone else."