Almost in spite of themselves, Democrats have stumbled on a rare opportunity. After a year of having little-to-no leverage over President Trump, the killings of two U.S. citizens by immigration officers in Minneapolis have turned most of the country against him. The Border Patrol “commander-at-large” Greg Bovino was demoted and sent back to California. Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem is facing rising calls for her ouster on both sides of the aisle. And border czar Tom Homan has promised to “draw down” the number of Feds in Minneapolis, though that hasn’t happened yet. Most tellingly, Trump has felt pressured to negotiate with Chuck Schumer, who vowed to block appropriations in the Senate if ICE and DHS funding were included — a sign of, at least, a partial retreat by the administration.

The Democrats’ funding deal is still very much in flux with a bigger shutdown looming: Though Schumer and Trump have agreed to separate DHS funding from the rest of the package, their framework has a trickier path in the House. The real test comes afterward. Democrats will be in a position to push for restrictions on ICE and hold DHS funding hostage until they get at least some of their way.

Which is why it’s so strange that what they’re asking for is fairly toothless. Senate Democrats, led by Schumer, plan to push for better coordination between federal immigration officers and local cops, implementing the same use-of-force standards for the Feds as local cops; outlawing the wearing of masks by immigration officers; and requiring immigration officers to use body cameras. Another ask — swapping out roving patrols for targeted warrant arrests — is one Homan has already embraced voluntarily. This list of demands appears to be a pared-down version of the already modest one Democrats were originally considering, which reportedly included confining border agents to their traditional jurisdiction. (Alex Pretti was killed by........

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