Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a leading Senate conservative, has proposed the idea of separating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from the rest of funding for the Department of Homeland Security. This move is seen as gaining momentum within the Senate Republican conference as they become increasingly pessimistic about reaching a deal with Democrats on immigration reform. Cruz argues that Democrats have become so extreme and unreasonable that they will not be willing to fund the Department for Homeland Security, citing four domestic attacks by radical Islamic terrorists and the defunding of the agency responsible for preventing terror attacks. The proposal could provide the basis for a deal to end the 36-day shutdown of the Homeland Security Department.