House Democrats are planning a range of actions to signal their defiance during President Trump’s upcoming State of the Union address to Congress on Feb. 24, 2026, as tensions over a partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown continue.
The address the president’s first formal State of the Union of his second term comes amid a political standoff over immigration enforcement and funding for DHS, which has stalled after Democrats opposed a funding bill without reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection.
Some Democratic lawmakers are weighing visible protests or walkouts during the speech, while others are considering skipping attendance altogether.
In a closed-door meeting, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries encouraged colleagues to either attend with “silent defiance” or sit out the event entirely, according to multiple senior Democratic sources.
Representative Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) told news outlets he plans to attend and show resistance to the address, while Republicans and some Democratic lawmakers continue debating the best strategy for responding to Trump’s policies.
The prospect of protests harks back to last year’s address, when several Democrats staged walkouts and displayed signs in opposition to Trump’s policies.
Party leaders are reportedly cautious this time, aiming for a more controlled stance while still conveying their objections to immigration enforcement and other administration actions.
With divisions over how to approach the speech and a partial shutdown looming, immigration and DHS funding are expected to dominate both the address and the response from Democrats in Congress.
