Congress Ends Record DHS Shutdown, Sends Funding Bill to Trump Without ICE Reforms

Congress has finally ended the longest shutdown in Department of Homeland Security history, approving a funding bill that President Donald Trump signed into law Thursday. The bill restores funding for agencies like FEMA, the Coast Guard, the TSA, and the Secret Service through the end of September — but crucially, it leaves Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol funding out of the mix.

This partial funding victory comes after a grueling 75-day standoff sparked by Democrats demanding reforms to Trump’s harsh immigration enforcement tactics. Democrats pushed for measures such as mandatory body cameras on agents and limits on raids in sensitive places like schools and hospitals. When Republicans refused, Democrats forced the shutdown on February 14.

Despite the shutdown, ICE and Border Patrol maintained their funding, but the rest of DHS was left in limbo, furloughing thousands of workers and jeopardizing critical homeland security functions. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned lawmakers that failure to pass funding by Thursday would end emergency funding and halt paychecks for thousands of employees.

Republicans initially rejected the Senate’s unanimous funding bill in late March because it excluded ICE and Border Patrol. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the bill “a joke.” But after the House passed a budget resolution paving the way for full funding of immigration enforcement agencies, Johnson allowed the Senate’s DHS funding bill to move forward.

The new budget resolution instructs committees to draft legislation authorizing $70 billion over three years to fund ICE and Border Patrol — bypassing Democratic opposition via the budget reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority in the Senate. This means Republicans plan to fund these agencies fully without adopting any of the immigration enforcement reforms Democrats demanded.

Meanwhile, Congress still faces a looming deadline to extend a foreign spying program known as FISA Section 702. Lawmakers from both parties warn that letting this program expire would be disastrous for national security.

This episode highlights the ongoing tug-of-war over immigration enforcement funding and reform under the Trump administration, with Democrats pushing for accountability and Republicans doubling down on aggressive border policies. The partial DHS funding bill ends the shutdown but leaves the core fight over ICE and Border Patrol funding very much alive as Trump’s term continues.