A Budget Deal, Maybe

Negotiators announced Monday night that they had an “agreement in principle” on border-enforcement funding that can avoid another federal shutdown. Keep your fingers crossed.

Talks had stalled over late Democratic demands to limit the number of beds for illegal immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on within-the-US violations, which Dems claim is to “force [President] Trump to prioritize deportation” of criminals.

Hmm. It looks like the deal will include a limit well below the numbers that ICE detained under President Barack Obama. That, apparently, is the price to give Trump roughly a third of the $5.7 billion he’d demanded in “wall” funding.

What if ICE needs to detain more than the allowed illegal immigrants who’ve commit- ted crimes warranting deportation? Surely Dems don’t want hundreds of violent criminals just released, but that’s what they seem to have insisted upon to get a deal that would pass the #Resistance-driven House.

Which still leaves the president still looking at Plan B: declaring a national emergency so he can get funds to build the wall without Congress’ OK.

We don’t love that answer, but it may be his least-bad option if he’s going to stick to his guns while avoiding the shutdown absurdity — even if a long court fight is likely.

And if lawmakers don’t like it, maybe they’ll start rethinking the 1976 National Emergency Act, which has led to 58 such declarations — 10 under Obama alone.

That’s something for Congress to look at if it can get out of crisis mode by finally settling federal funding for the year.