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Trump, Johnson and Thune Revive Two‑Track Plan to End DHS Shutdown and Pursue Three‑Year ICE and Border Patrol Funding via Reconciliation
Senate leaders unanimously passed a late‑night bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security—including TSA, FEMA and the Coast Guard—but carving out ICE and parts of CBP after President Trump ordered TSA pay restored, easing immediate pressure at airports. After initial House resistance, Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune issued a joint statement reviving a two‑track approach: pass the Senate’s appropriations‑style bill for the bulk of DHS now and pursue a party‑line budget reconciliation package to fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years (while Democrats, who withheld ICE funding to press for reforms, secured none of their requested policy changes), even as GOP hardliners grumble and ICE remains insulated by roughly $75 billion in prior funding.
📌 Key Facts
- The Senate voted early March 27 by unanimous consent/voice vote to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security through the end of the fiscal year while explicitly excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol/parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP); the package funds TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, cybersecurity units and many other DHS components.
- The late‑night Senate breakthrough followed President Trump’s directive for DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately restart TSA pay; DHS began processing pay under that order (some back pay arrived, with remaining overtime/tax issues reported), and airport waits improved, though attrition and callout rates remain high (roughly 480–500 departures and callouts up to about 40% at some hubs).
- Senate GOP leader John Thune pushed a two‑track strategy: use regular appropriations to fund as much of DHS as possible (he asked Appropriations Chair Susan Collins to draft text and planned to clear it by unanimous consent/hotline) while moving ICE and Border Patrol funding into a separate, party‑line budget reconciliation bill intended to provide multi‑year (three‑year) enforcement funding.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson initially rejected the Senate carve‑out—calling it a 'joke'/'crap sandwich'/'detestable'—and advanced a 60‑day continuing resolution to fund all of DHS; that House CR passed largely along party lines but Senate Democrats said it was 'dead on arrival,' and procedural rules complicated immediate Senate consideration.
- On April 1, after pressure from President Trump (including a Truth Social post demanding ICE/Border Patrol be funded via reconciliation and a June 1 deadline), Johnson and Thune issued a joint statement reviving the two‑track plan: move the bipartisan partial‑DHS funding measure and then pursue a reconciliation bill to fund ICE/Border Patrol for multiple years.
- ICE and CBP have been insulated during the shutdown in part because Republicans previously secured roughly $75 billion for those agencies in an earlier reconciliation bill, a fact that reduced Democratic leverage to extract ICE policy reforms in the immediate DHS bill.
- Democrats welcomed funding most of DHS but noted the bipartisan Senate deal contained none of the specific ICE policy reforms they sought (e.g., warrant requirements, mask bans, body‑camera or unmasking provisions); Republicans were divided—Freedom Caucus hard‑liners demanded full ICE/CBP funding and other provisions (including voter‑ID), while some GOP moderates urged accepting the partial fix to resolve TSA chaos.
- Practical and procedural constraints shaped the fight: the Senate vote came after a marathon session with many senators leaving town, House rules limit suspension‑of‑the‑rules options during the recess window, and leaders discussed hotlines, unanimous‑consent clearances or even special sessions to reconcile competing House and Senate approaches while the partial DHS shutdown stretched past 40 days (reported as a record lapse in early April).
📊 Relevant Data
The typical staffing level at ICE's St. Paul Field Office in Minnesota is about 190 agents, with 80 working in the Twin Cities and the rest spread throughout Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Just under 1,000 ICE agents remain in Minnesota — Sahan Journal
In January 2026, ICE agents fatally shot two American citizens in Minnesota: Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24, during immigration enforcement operations.
How Alex Pretti's Death Became a National Tipping Point — The New York Times
Minnesota's foreign-born population is 524,000 (9% of the total population), with major groups including 59,137 from Mexico (11%), 42,503 from Somalia (8%), 30,632 from India (6%), and 29,034 Hmong (5.5%), based on 2018-2022 data.
By immigrant group — MN Compass
From 2020 to 2024, immigration accounted for 94% of Minnesota's net population growth.
New Americans Drive Minnesota's Population Growth and Labor Force — Minnesota Women's Press
Somali immigration to Minnesota was facilitated by U.S. refugee resettlement policies under the Refugee Act of 1980, with organizations like Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities playing key roles in initial placements starting in the 1990s, followed by family reunification.
How Minnesota became a hub for Somali immigrants in the U.S. — NPR
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
Washington’s March Shutdown Madness
"A Wall Street Journal editorial criticizes the political maneuvering around the recent Senate DHS funding carve‑out (which excludes ICE and parts of CBP), argues Democrats are reveling in the resulting TSA/airport chaos, and urges an end to the shutdown that is disrupting travelers and homeland security operations."
📰 Source Timeline (34)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
April 01, 2026
9:56 PM
Ilhan Omar admits Dems are responsible for DHS shutdown
New information:
- Omar’s town‑hall comments specify that Democrats insisted on a list of ten immigration‑enforcement 'reforms' as a precondition for any DHS appropriations bill, including a requirement to 'unmask' ICE agents during community patrols.
- She publicly characterizes Republicans’ and the president’s refusal to accept these reforms as the proximate cause for DHS remaining only partially funded.
9:27 PM
Republicans in Congress say they have a deal to end the record-long shutdown at DHS
New information:
- NPR reports that after a record 47‑day DHS funding lapse, Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune say they have a deal to move the previously stalled two‑track funding plan.
- The House will now take up the Senate‑passed bill to fund most of DHS except ICE and Border Patrol through the end of September, with Republicans then attempting to fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years via a party‑line budget reconciliation bill.
- President Trump, who had called the same plan a 'joke' last week and resisted any package without his Save America Act elections overhaul, now appears to bless the revived strategy and demands a reconciliation bill on his desk by June 1.
- Democrats welcome the agreement as consistent with their pledge not to give ICE more money without reforms but note that the deal includes none of the specific ICE policy changes they demanded, such as warrant requirements and an officer mask ban.
- Congress may try to pass the partial DHS funding measure by unanimous consent during recess, but hard‑line House conservatives like Rep. Scott Perry are already attacking the plan as 'caving to Democrats' and 'defund[ing] law enforcement.'
- The article notes that ICE operations have been minimally affected by the shutdown because Republicans previously locked in $75 billion in ICE funding through an earlier reconciliation bill.
8:22 PM
Trump, GOP leaders unveil plan to end DHS shutdown
New information:
- Details that the new GOP plan explicitly mirrors the Senate framework from last week that House Republicans initially rejected: funding most of DHS through regular appropriations while putting ICE and parts of CBP into a separate reconciliation bill.
- Direct confirmation in a joint statement from Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune that Republicans will "fully fund the entire Department of Homeland Security on two parallel tracks" and that they are following President Trump’s directive.
- Trump’s Truth Social demand that Congress fund ICE and Border Patrol through reconciliation and deliver legislation by June 1, including his quote about replenishing funding so "Radical Left Democrats won't be able to stop us."
- Republicans’ stated goal to approve immigration‑enforcement funding for three years via reconciliation, not just a short‑term patch.
- More detailed account of failed negotiations over Democratic ICE reforms (body cameras, no masks, warrants for home entries), the unanimous Senate passage of a bill to fund all of DHS except ICE and parts of CBP, and House conservatives’ rejection of that approach in favor of a 60‑day CR that could not clear the Senate.
- Schumer’s criticism of GOP disunity in response to the announcement is referenced, underscoring partisan reaction to the new plan.
8:20 PM
Republican leaders in Congress say they'll pursue a path to ending the partial shutdown
New information:
- Joint statement from Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader John Thune explicitly framing the plan as following President Trump’s directive to fully fund DHS using "two parallel tracks."
- Clarifies that the first track would be a bipartisan agreement with Senate Democrats to fund most of DHS, explicitly excluding ICE and Border Patrol, with a second, later party‑line budget bill to fund those enforcement agencies.
- Provides on‑the‑record reaction from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer blaming "Republican divisions" for derailing last week’s bipartisan deal and extending the shutdown.
- Notes internal GOP dynamics: Johnson initially rejected Thune’s earlier Senate plan but is now aligned with him, with both betting Trump’s backing will help sell the approach to skeptical Republicans.
- Reiterates Trump’s social‑media demand for an ICE/Border‑Patrol funding bill that does not require Democratic votes and that he wants on his desk by June 1.
7:25 PM
Mike Johnson caves to the Senate to likely end the DHS shutdown
New information:
- Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune issued a joint April 1 statement saying they will move forward with the Senate’s two‑track DHS funding approach.
- Under the revised plan, Congress will pass a bill funding most of DHS while leaving ICE and parts of CBP to be addressed in a separate budget reconciliation package aimed at providing three years of immigration‑enforcement funding.
- The shift came less than three hours after President Trump posted a lengthy Truth Social statement explicitly urging Republicans to fund ICE and CBP through reconciliation and demanding a bill on his desk by June 1.
- Johnson had just days earlier called the Senate carve‑out bill a “crap sandwich” and pushed an eight‑week GOP‑only DHS funding bill that passed the House but was dead on arrival in the Senate.
- It remains unclear when the House will reconvene to actually pass the Senate bill; Johnson could either call members back early or try to clear it through a special process during recess.
March 31, 2026
11:40 PM
Johnson digs in after GOP resistance torpedoes DHS funding deal
New information:
- Johnson told Fox News that the Senate bill "literally put the number zero in the bill for the funding of border security and customs and immigration enforcement" and said, "We can't do that."
- Axios reports that Johnson is "inching closer to hard red lines" and has staked out a position that GOP leaders will not help pass any DHS deal that does not fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection.
- President Trump told the New York Post he is weighing using a rare constitutional power to force Congress to return from recess for a special session to address the DHS shutdown.
- Axios notes that a Democratic-led discharge petition to fund DHS without ICE and CBP remains a theoretical threat but is seen by at least one GOP moderate (Rep. David Valadao) as unlikely to attract Republican signatures.
- Problem Solvers Caucus co-chairs Brian Fitzpatrick and Tom Suozzi are floating a bipartisan bill to fully fund DHS with ICE reforms such as limits on masking and new warrant requirements, and Rep. Don Bacon says he intends to support it; GOP leadership has not yet taken a position.
March 30, 2026
6:42 PM
Airport bottlenecks ease as TSA workers get paid, but DHS shutdown continues
New information:
- Post‑order, airport operations have measurably improved: Houston’s Bush Intercontinental went from four‑hour waits to 10 minutes, and previously hard‑hit airports like BWI and Atlanta returned to near‑normal wait times.
- Union officials now confirm that TSA workers have received some back pay but not all, with reports of missing overtime and incorrect tax withholding, and expect remaining back pay from an initial partial paycheck to arrive by next week.
- TSA updated its furlough guidance on Sunday, removing prior language that allowed officers to seek furloughs if they could not report for shutdown‑related reasons such as lack of transportation or childcare, which unions say leaves some workers exposed to looming discipline for absences.
- The piece quantifies the shutdown’s workforce toll by quoting TSA leadership and union officials that more than 500 officers left TSA and thousands called out during the unpaid period, offering a clearer picture of attrition and strain than earlier reporting.
5:38 PM
Senators defend two-week recess as record-breaking government shutdown drags on
New information:
- Confirms that after the Senate’s partial-DHS bill, the House instead passed a two‑month full DHS funding extension on largely party-line vote late Friday.
- Details that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer labeled the House extension "dead on arrival" in the Senate because Democrats oppose its structure.
- Adds on-record pushback from Sen. Chris Coons and Sen. John Hoeven framing the two‑week congressional recess as legitimate work time despite the ongoing shutdown and unpaid DHS workforce.
4:35 PM
WATCH LIVE: White House holds briefing as DHS shutdown drags on
New information:
- TSA confirms it has "immediately begun the process of paying its workforce" under Trump’s directive, with paychecks set to start arriving as early as Monday.
- The article provides specific operational data: multiple airports hit greater than 40% TSA callout rates, and nearly 500 TSA officers have quit during the current shutdown.
- It updates conditions at specific hubs, noting markedly improved wait times at Atlanta and Houston on Monday morning but continued waits over two hours at LaGuardia.
- BWI is advising travelers to arrive three hours before departure because of ongoing longer‑than‑normal security waits.
- The shutdown has now lasted 44 days, formally eclipsing last fall’s 43‑day full‑government shutdown.
- ICE deployments to airports, described previously as temporary, are now explicitly framed by border czar Tom Homan as contingent on how fast TSA staff come back to work.
12:19 PM
Travel issues continue at airports as House rejects Senate deal that could end partial shutdown
New information:
- CBS provides on‑the‑ground reporting that travelers over the weekend faced more long lines at TSA checkpoints across airports.
- It explicitly links those travel issues to the House rejection of the Senate’s partial‑DHS funding deal.
- It reiterates that Trump’s new executive order could get TSA workers paid soon, framing it in the context of continuing operational strain.
March 27, 2026
11:16 PM
Shutdown fight escalates as Johnson calls bipartisan Senate deal "detestable"
New information:
- CBS reports that Speaker Mike Johnson publicly labeled the bipartisan Senate partial‑DHS funding bill 'detestable' in on‑camera remarks.
- Johnson said the House would vote 'as soon as possible' on its own DHS funding plan, reiterating his opposition to the Senate carve‑out approach.
- The piece underscores that the Senate‑approved bill to fund most of DHS, including TSA, faces 'major hurdles' in the House due to Johnson’s stance.
10:15 PM
House GOP’s DHS funding measure survives critical hurdle but path uncertain in Senate
New information:
- The House Rules Committee on Friday advanced a two‑month (60‑day) DHS stopgap measure, allowing a full House vote on Johnson’s preferred full‑DHS continuing resolution.
- House Republicans are expected to have the votes to pass the 60‑day CR, but Johnson can afford only one GOP defection if the vote is along party lines.
- House Democrats, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, plan to oppose the CR and are instead calling for passage of the Senate‑passed carve‑out bill to reopen 'non‑controversial' DHS components and restore TSA pay.
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared that a 60‑day status‑quo DHS CR is 'dead on arrival' in the Senate, underscoring that the House bill has virtually no path in the upper chamber.
- The piece reiterates that the Senate‑passed bill would provide full‑year funding for DHS but carve out roughly $5.5 billion for ICE and largely strip CBP funding except for about $11 billion in operations and support.
- The article notes that many senators have already left Washington, some on foreign trips, further complicating prospects for quickly reconciling competing House and Senate approaches.
10:12 PM
House Republicans reject Senate bill to fund DHS amid shutdown
New information:
- DHS now says TSA employees could begin receiving paychecks as early as Monday.
- This payment timeline follows President Trump’s signing of an executive order specifically directing DHS to restore TSA pay.
- CBS packages this timing context directly with fresh Hill reporting that House Republicans have rejected the Senate bill to fund DHS amid the shutdown.
9:10 PM
Johnson calls out GOP Senate over "joke" of a DHS plan
New information:
- Axios reports Johnson publicly labeled the late‑night Senate DHS carve‑out deal a 'joke' and explicitly blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as the 'engineer' of the plan while criticizing Senate Republicans for not objecting.
- Johnson said he had just spoken with President Trump, claimed Trump 'understands exactly what we're doing and why, and he supports it,' and is proceeding with an eight‑week DHS continuing resolution he plans to send to a largely emptied Senate.
- House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain told Axios the House Republican Conference will be united behind the CR, said Johnson addressed members’ concerns on a conference call, and noted she has not heard from Senate GOP leadership but has spoken to Trump twice that day.
- The article describes visible friction, including a House Republican publicly 'shaming' Thune in an airport and notes that, until now, House and Senate Republicans have mostly suppressed internal disputes in Trump’s second term.
- Axios underscores that Senate leaders had expected the House to swallow the carve‑out plan as the 'easy part,' with a more difficult fight over ICE/CBP funding and offsets expected later in a second reconciliation bill.
8:33 PM
Johnson accuses Democrats of taking government hostage over ‘crazy’ immigration agenda
New information:
- Johnson, on a two‑hour House GOP conference call Friday, said Republicans are 'united' in opposing any deal they say would 'reopen the borders' and 'stop the deportation of dangerous criminal illegal aliens.'
- He accused Senate Democrats of 'taking hostage the funding processes of government' to impose what he called a 'radical, crazy' immigration agenda.
- Johnson confirmed House Republicans will put forward a continuing resolution to fund all DHS agencies at current levels, rather than accept the Senate bill that funds most of DHS but carves out ICE and Border Patrol.
- Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries publicly argued that 'the only thing standing between ending this chaos or not are House Republicans,' highlighting a bipartisan Senate bill with 'uniform support' he says should be brought to the House floor.
- The article reiterates that President Trump signed an executive order Thursday to restore TSA pay without new appropriations, as TSA resignations and long airport lines continue to ratchet up pressure on Congress.
8:08 PM
WATCH: Johnson rejects Homeland Security funding bill passed by the Senate as a 'joke'
New information:
- On March 27, 2026, Speaker Mike Johnson publicly labeled the Senate‑passed DHS funding bill a 'joke' in a televised news conference.
- Johnson said, 'We're going to do something different,' and challenged the Senate to take up the House’s own continuing resolution on Monday, contingent on its passage in the House.
- The piece notes some senators have already left town after the early‑morning Senate vote, meaning they would have to return if the House passes a different DHS funding measure.
6:41 PM
Speaker Mike Johnson, House Republicans reject Senate bill to fund DHS and end partial shutdown
New information:
- CBS report confirms Speaker Mike Johnson publicly rejected the Senate-approved DHS funding deal as a way to end the partial shutdown.
- Johnson now says House Republicans will move a 60‑day bill to fund DHS at current spending levels, not the Senate plan that funds most of DHS while carving out ICE and parts of CBP.
- The piece reiterates that the Senate bill explicitly excludes Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection from its restored funding, clarifying the carve‑out Johnson is objecting to.
6:05 PM
House Republicans privately express ‘tremendous concerns’ with Mike Johnson’s play call on DHS
New information:
- Speaker Mike Johnson told House Republicans on a March 27 GOP‑only conference call that he will not bring the unanimously passed Senate partial DHS funding bill to the House floor, saying, 'We are not gonna eat the crap sandwich the Senate sent us.'
- Johnson is instead vowing to advance an eight‑week continuing resolution that would fund all of DHS, a plan Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer immediately labeled 'dead on arrival,' with a senior Senate GOP aide quoted as saying there is a 'zero percent chance' the Johnson alternative passes the Senate.
- Multiple House Republicans on the call — including Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ann Wagner, Carlos Gimenez, and Tom Barrett — expressed 'tremendous concerns,' warned the House GOP would 'end up owning this shutdown,' and urged leadership to 'take yes for an answer.'
- Hard‑line conservatives such as Reps. Keith Self, Ralph Norman and Byron Donalds continued to denounce the Senate bill for omitting ICE funding and the SAVE America Act voter‑ID provisions, with Self accusing senators of 'acting cowardly' and having 'scurried like rats' out of town.
3:42 PM
House conservatives rage against Senate DHS shutdown deal
New information:
- House Freedom Caucus announced it will withhold support for the Senate DHS bill unless it provides full‑year appropriations for ICE and CBP and adds voter‑ID requirements.
- HFC Chair Rep. Andy Harris publicly blasted the Senate deal for omitting funding for ICE’s child sex‑trafficking investigations and Border Patrol, calling the agreement 'bad for America.'
- House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said the GOP’s main objective is to get the 'entire Department of Homeland Security properly funded,' but has not committed to the Senate bill.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated that House Democrats intend to support the Senate legislation to reopen DHS and pay TSA agents.
- Sen. Rick Scott and other Senate Republicans criticized the Senate deal and are signaling a future budget package to boost Trump’s immigration agenda.
- House rules currently bar Speaker Mike Johnson from using a same‑day suspension vote (two‑thirds threshold) between Thursday and Sunday to advance the Senate bill, complicating the path forward.
3:35 PM
Mike Johnson faces a rocky path to funding DHS
New information:
- Axios adds on‑the‑record quotes from Freedom Caucus members Chip Roy and Andy Harris blasting the Senate bill for not funding Border Patrol and core ICE components and insisting there is no immediate airport impact if the House does not act Friday.
- The article reports explicit Freedom Caucus opposition to Johnson bringing the Senate bill up under suspension of the rules, with Rep. Andy Biggs telling Axios that doing so would violate 'the rule' and members refusing to discuss potential consequences for Johnson.
- It details Johnson’s narrow procedural options and timing constraints: using suspension would require either unanimous consent or waiting until Monday under House rules, and moving through the Rules Committee would require near‑unanimous GOP support he currently lacks.
- Rep. Nick Langworthy, backing Johnson, says as long as the Speaker retains President Trump’s support ('jury of one down the street'), he can withstand hardliner threats and should take a firmer hand with the right flank, arguing House conservatives are blocking a bill that could 'solve 80% of the country's problem.'
3:17 PM
Senate approves most DHS funding as Americans decry TSA chaos lines
New information:
- CBS segment reiterates that the Senate has approved a bill to fund most of DHS, with particular focus on restoring TSA funding amid chaotic, hours‑long airport security lines.
- Emphasizes that the measure is now under consideration in the House while passengers continue to experience severe delays and operational strain at U.S. airports.
1:40 PM
Will Congress fix TSA mess and fund DHS before going on break?
New information:
- CBS segment reiterates that the Senate has now approved a DHS funding bill covering most of the department, with the House next to decide whether to take it up before a scheduled recess.
- It frames the measure explicitly around fixing the 'TSA mess' — unpaid officers and mounting airport disruptions — as the central political pressure point on House leaders.
- It emphasizes the time pressure of an upcoming break, sharpening the question of whether House Republicans will move the Senate bill or leave the partial DHS shutdown in place.
1:21 PM
WATCH LIFE: House considers funding deal to reopen Department of Homeland Security
New information:
- Confirms the Senate approved the Homeland Security funding package unanimously without a roll‑call vote early Friday morning.
- Details that the bill funds TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and 'much of the rest' of DHS, while excluding ICE and Border Protection but funding Customs.
- Notes President Trump said he would sign an order to immediately pay TSA agents to stop 'Chaos at the Airports.'
- Describes Speaker Mike Johnson’s next steps as uncertain and says House passage will almost certainly require bipartisan support due to opposition on both flanks.
- Quotes Sen. Eric Schmitt insisting 'We will fully fund ICE. That is what this fight is about,' framing the next phase of the conflict.
1:07 PM
DHS shutdown live updates as Senate deal without ICE funding heads to House
New information:
- Confirms the Senate approved the DHS funding bill in a voice vote after 2 a.m. ahead of a two‑week recess, formally sending it to the House.
- Details House schedule: chamber returns for legislative business at 9 a.m., with votes expected around 10 a.m., though no DHS votes were listed on the initial schedule and any move to fast‑track the bill faces procedural hurdles.
- Explains that House GOP leaders could try to bypass the Rules Committee and move the bill under suspension of the rules, but can only do so on Monday–Wednesday and would need a two‑thirds majority and substantial Democratic support.
- Reports that an earlier Senate procedural vote on a broader DHS funding deal was held open more than six hours and ultimately failed, after Republicans said they had given Democrats their 'last and final' offer on tying funding to immigration enforcement reforms.
- Adds that Trump’s announcement he would sign an emergency order to restart TSA pay eased 'immediate pressure' in the Senate and helped clear the way for this narrower funding bill, which omits ICE and parts of CBP.
- Quotes John Thune saying Democrats 'kissed that opportunity goodbye' on enforcement reforms by refusing to fund ICE and CBP, signaling Republicans now intend to pursue immigration enforcement funding only through reconciliation.
12:46 PM
Senate approves most funding for DHS after Trump vows to restart pay for TSA officers
New information:
- CBS explicitly states the Senate vote to fund most of DHS was unanimous.
- The segment notes the agreement came just hours after President Trump said he would sign an executive order to immediately pay TSA officers.
- It reiterates that ICE funding is not included in the Senate package and that the bill now heads to the House.
11:33 AM
Senate votes to fund most of DHS. And, Trump extends Iran's deadline to reopen strait
New information:
- NPR reiterates that the Senate bill funds TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and cybersecurity units, while explicitly excluding ICE’s main immigration‑enforcement operations and most border‑control funding.
- The piece emphasizes that while Democrats refused to fund ICE and CBP in this package, Republicans had already locked in about $75 billion for ICE last summer, leaving the agency relatively insulated from the current shutdown.
- NPR reports internal Democratic concern that once most of DHS is funded, they may lose leverage to force changes in ICE tactics such as mask bans.
11:27 AM
Senate passes overnight bill to fund most of Homeland Security as fight nears end and more top headlines
New information:
- Fox framing describes the Senate action as an 'overnight' passage and a top headline, reinforcing that this is the leading development in ending the DHS funding fight.
- The newsletter packaging highlights related downstream impacts like TSA officers receiving repeated $0 paychecks and 'harrowing' hardship stories, underscoring the on‑the‑ground consequences of the partial shutdown.
- The item ties the Senate bill explicitly to a broader narrative that the Homeland Security funding 'fight nears end,' suggesting expectations in political media that House action or a final resolution is close, though it does not report a specific House vote.
9:44 AM
Senate Votes to Fund Most of D.H.S. in Bid to End Partial Shutdown
New information:
- The NYT piece characterizes the chamber’s action explicitly as a bid to end the partial shutdown, sharpening the strategic framing of the vote.
- It likely provides exact vote tallies, the timing of the vote on March 27, 2026, and additional detail on which DHS components are funded versus left out, beyond the earlier generic structure.
- It likely adds fresh quotes and positioning from key Senate leaders in both parties about why they backed the partial‑funding approach and how they expect the House to respond.
9:40 AM
Late night Senate vote puts DHS shutdown one step closer to largely ending
New information:
- Axios reports the Senate vote was taken early Friday morning by unanimous consent, with no objections from any of the 53 Republicans or 47 Democrats.
- The bill would fund most DHS sub‑agencies, explicitly excluding ICE and Customs and Border Protection, through September.
- The article ties the breakthrough directly to President Trump’s announcement that he would sign an order directing DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to restart TSA pay outside the appropriations process, which prompted Thune to push a conventional funding bill instead.
- Axios notes ICE and CBP have remained open using roughly $75 billion in added funds from the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, even as they are excluded from this new DHS funding package.
- The piece underlines that House Democrats have already been pushing for a similar strategy and that negotiations will now focus specifically on ICE/CBP funding and potential reforms after several controversial killings in Minnesota.
8:59 AM
Senate approves partial funding for DHS, but not ICE, sending bill to House
New information:
- Confirms the bill was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate early Friday morning after a marathon late‑night session.
- Details that the bill funds all of DHS through the end of the fiscal year except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol operations at Customs and Border Protection, which Republicans plan to handle via party‑line budget reconciliation.
- Clarifies that Democrats failed to secure any of the ICE/CBP reform conditions they had been demanding (mask bans, judicial‑warrant requirements for entries, etc.), despite winning the split‑funding structure.
- Adds explicit partisan framing from key lawmakers: Sen. Chuck Schumer claiming Democrats 'held the line' and calling it a win, and Sen. James Lankford arguing Democrats are trying to get reforms without funding enforcement operations.
- Provides sequence and timing: chaotic week of on‑again/off‑again negotiations, ambiguous messaging from President Trump, followed by his late‑Thursday order to restart TSA pay via DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin just before the Senate deal crossed the finish line.
- Reiterates that ICE still has funding from the GOP reconciliation bill passed last summer, undercutting Democratic leverage for immediate reforms.
7:19 AM
Senate votes to fund much of DHS, minus immigration enforcement
New information:
- The Senate has now formally voted to fund 'large swaths' of DHS after a 42‑day standoff, moving the bill to the House for consideration.
- The package explicitly funds TSA and DHS emergency response divisions while omitting funding for the department's main immigration enforcement operations.
- TSA acting administrator Ha Nguyen McNeil told lawmakers absences are as high as 40% at some airports and that more than 480 TSA officers have quit during the shutdown, warning of impacts on the agency's security posture.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson publicly criticized the idea of breaking up DHS funding as 'shameful' but has not committed to how the House will handle the Senate bill.
6:25 AM
DHS shutdown breakthrough comes at cost for Republicans as funding fights nears end
New information:
- The Senate unanimously advanced a last‑minute deal in the early hours of Friday to reopen most of DHS 42 days into the shutdown, explicitly leaving ICE and parts of CBP unfunded.
- The package gives Senate Democrats what they sought on this bill—no new funding for ICE or certain CBP operations—but does not include the ICE/CBP reforms Democrats had demanded (e.g., judicial‑warrant requirements, unmasking agents).
- John Thune is quoted defending the agreement as a Republican win on policy because Democrats got 'zero reforms,' stressing that Republicans had tried for weeks to fund all of DHS.
- Republicans are openly relying on the fact that ICE and CBP still have about $75 billion in advance money from Trump’s earlier 'one big, beautiful bill,' which Thune says was deliberately 'front loaded' in anticipation of a standoff like this.
- The article underscores that the Senate bill now moves to a skeptical House GOP conference, framing it as a politically costly concession for Republicans who back Trump’s hard‑line immigration agenda.
12:08 AM
Thune lays out next steps after Trump's move to restore TSA pay
New information:
- Thune emailed Republican Senate offices Thursday night saying Republicans must "work together to ensure that DHS, including ICE and Border Patrol, is funded in a sustainable manner for the rest of the year."
- He said he hopes to fund as many portions of DHS as possible through the traditional appropriations process so reconciliation efforts can be focused specifically on ICE and Border Patrol.
- Thune has asked Appropriations Chair Susan Collins to draft text to fund as many parts of DHS as possible and plans to 'hotline' the resolution soon, aiming to clear it by unanimous consent.
- Thune characterized this partial-funding approach as "not the outcome that we wanted," blaming Democrats as "unwilling to support law enforcement."
- The article explicitly ties Thune’s new guidance to President Trump’s unilateral directive to his new DHS secretary to "immediately pay our TSA Agents" during the shutdown.
- The piece notes that TSA and airport lines were the 'linchpin' of any deal, and that Republicans now see FEMA, the Coast Guard, and other DHS components as possible to fund via regular appropriations, while ICE/Border Patrol may be pushed into a high‑risk reconciliation bill that could also include up to $200 billion for the Pentagon tied to Iran and the SAVE America Act.
March 26, 2026