The House voted to fund much of the Department of Homeland Security, ending the longest agency shutdown, but explicitly excluded immigration enforcement operations, sending the bipartisan package to President Trump.
After weeks of delay, the House voted Thursday to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, excluding its immigration enforcement operations, thereby ending the longest agency shutdown in history. The bipartisan package now goes to President Donald Trump for signing. Proposed over 70 days ago by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the bill had languished in the House due to internal Republican disputes under Speaker Mike Johnson, despite unanimous Senate approval a month prior. Democrats had refused to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol without changes to their operations, following fatal shootings by federal agents. To break this impasse, Republicans decided to address immigration enforcement funding separately through the cumbersome budget reconciliation process. This strategy allowed Speaker Johnson to advance the broader bipartisan bill for TSA agents and other DHS components. House Republicans subsequently adopted a budget resolution, largely along party lines, focused on eventually providing $70 billion for immigration enforcement and deportations for the remainder of Trump’s term, ensuring Democrats cannot block it. This separation was criticized by Rep. Chip Roy as "offensive" to ICE and Border Patrol personnel.
