William Timmons

Rep. William Timmons visited a Greenville business before returning to Washington amid government shutdown talks.

Timmons commented on the shutdown, immigration debates, and recent ICE operations.

The congressman defended ICE's actions, including those involving children and recent deaths in Minneapolis.

U.S. Rep. William Timmons, R-District 4, thinks a government shutdown, if it happens, would be resolved early next week.

The congressman spoke while visiting downtown Greenville on Jan. 30. Congress has until midnight to pass a spending plan needed to keep the government open. Timmons said he planned to take a flight back to Washington, D.C., so he could be in the U.S. House as the possibility of shutdown neared.

The Senate gathered earlier in the day to vote on a temporary spending plan. Even if the chamber comes to an agreement, the spending plan would also have to clear the House and president's desk before it is finalized.

"We anticipate reopening the government Monday (or) Tuesday, but there's a lot more negotiating that's going to take place," Timmons said.

Timmons was in Greenville visiting the Spinx Market and Eatery as part of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) “In Store” program, in which members of Congress work at convenience stores to learn more about how policy decision impact the businesses, according to NACS strategic advisor Anna Blom.

During his visit, he talked about the spending plan and other national issues including immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, and the 2026 midterm elections.

The temporary spending plan originally got held up in the Senate due to debates over immigration enforcement. Senate Democrats said they would not vote on a spending plan until several demands related to reforming the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were carried out.

More: Immigration enforcement drives possible U.S. government shutdown

The Senate stripped out a section of the spending plan related to DHS funding so both matters could be taken up separately, according to USA Today. The Senate reached a deal on Jan. 29 to fund DHS to two weeks, but the chamber did not make movement on the more comprehensive spending package.

Timmons responded to Senate Democrats' concerns about DHS, saying that he is always willing to discuss ways to keep people safer, but "shutting the government down is not an effective way of negotiating."

He also talked about the ICE crackdown in Minneapolis, which escalated in December when DHS sent more agents into the city. Two Minnesotans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, have been killed by ICE agents since the escalated immigration operations.

Timmons called the deaths "two very unfortunate situations," but he ultimately defended the actions of ICE agents.

"Obviously, we need to do everything we can to enforce the rule of law as effectively as possible while respecting individual rights," the congressman said. "But, if you attack federal law enforcement, there can be unfortunate consequences."

Timmons then characterized the ICE operations as a way of deporting "violent felons."

When asked about ICE agent's detaining children, including 5-year-old Liam Ramos who was taken from Minneapolis to Texas, Timmons pointed to the Obama administration, saying family separations that happened during that term were blamed on the Trump administration.

He added the government has to "get rid of the bad people" and get people in the United States seeking the American dream on the government's radar.

"Any 5-year-old that is involved with ICE is probably safer because of it, and I would guarantee you his parents probably made some very poor decisions to put him in the situation," Timmons said.

Timmons is up for reelection in the 2026 midterm electons, when every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives will be left up to voters. He has served parts of the Upstate as the District 4 representative since January 2019, and has a Republican challenger for that seat — Greenville businessman David Atchley.

More: Republican candidate challenges Timmons for 4th District seat

While he is running for reelection this year, he confirmed that if he wins, a term from 2027-2029 would be his last.

Timmons said that when he first ran for office, he told voters that he was only going to serve for 10 years and plans to live up to that promise.

"I'm not a career politician, I'm a public servant," Timmons said. "I'm going to spend 10 years serving in Congress, and then I'm going to come home."

Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at [email protected]