Disbelief as Trump's big DHS 'concession' is he may agree to follow the law

Political analysts and observers bristled on Tuesday at the White House's latest concessions in its bid to reopen the Department of Homeland Security.

President Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, and James Braid, director of the Office of Legal Affairs, wrote a letter to Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Katie Britt (R-AL) updating them on the latest negotiations with Democrats on Capitol Hill. The two parties have been negotiating funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which was shut down on Feb. 13 when Democrats refused to support an appropriations bill.

Some of the concessions that the two Trump officials offered include requiring DHS to "follow current law" regarding Congressional visits to detention centers, expanding the use of body-worn cameras, and "codifying" the practice of not detaining American citizens, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Politico.

Analysts and observers bristled at the list on social media.

"So basically nothing," Josh Breisblatt, a Democratic attorney on the Senate Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee, posted on X.

"Aside from sensitive locations, there’s little here addressing the tactics that caused the most chaos in Minneapolis. It’s sad that simply adhering to the law is even considered a concession from the White House in order to fund DHS," Andrea Flores, a former White House staffer, posted on X.

"Not present in this offer: any requested changes to 2025 DHS policy allowing agents to forcibly enter homes of people they wish to arrest/deport without a signed judicial warrant," Benjamin Weiss, congressional reporter for Courthouse News, posted on X.

"A big Trump admin bargaining chip is that they might — POTENTIALLY — commit to following the law," political organizer Seth Pollack posted on X.