The U.S. Senate reached a rare unanimous agreement early Friday to partially fund the Department of Homeland Security after a 42-day shutdown crippled airport operations, but lawmakers excluded funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection, underscoring deep divisions tied to recent fatal enforcement incidents in Minneapolis.
The late-night vote restores funding for key agencies including the Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Coast Guard, following weeks of operational strain that left tens of thousands of federal workers unpaid and air travel systems under severe stress.
The breakthrough followed mounting pressure after the partial shutdown began in mid-February. By late March, staffing levels at TSA had deteriorated sharply, with Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill warning Congress of unprecedented disruption. She told lawmakers the crisis had produced the "highest wait times in TSA history," as absentee rates climbed above 11% nationally and exceeded 40% at some airports.
The scale of disruption was reflected in workforce attrition and operational collapse:
- More than 480 TSA officers resigned during the shutdown
- Daily callout rates rose from 4% to over 11%
- Some airports recorded wait times exceeding four hours
President Donald Trump intervened on March 26, directing newly appointed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to "immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation," though the administration did not specify the legal authority underpinning the move.
The Senate agreement emerged hours later after weeks of stalled negotiations. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said: "We're gonna execute on as much of DHS as we can tonight, and then we'll fund the rest of it later," signaling a piecemeal approach after broader talks failed.
At the center of the impasse were two fatal encounters involving federal immigration authorities that reshaped the political landscape. On Jan. 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old American, during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis. On Jan. 24, Customs and Border Protection officers shot Alex Pretti, a Department of Veterans Affairs nurse, in a separate incident later ruled a homicide.
Those events drove Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, to demand sweeping reforms before approving full DHS funding. After the vote, Schumer said: "In the wake of the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Senate Democrats were clear: no blank check for a lawless ICE and Border Patrol," adding, "This could have been accomplished weeks ago if Republicans hadn't stood in the way."
Republicans rejected those conditions, arguing they would hinder enforcement operations. Thune said: "This was all about reforms and they were all on the table," adding, "Basically, that door kind of closed and they started to take the funding off the table. I just think their base was demanding that they not fund ICE." He also criticized the outcome, saying: "President Trump should never have had to step in to rescue TSA workers and US air travel. We are here because, thanks to Democrats' determined refusal to reach an agreement, there will be no Homeland Security funding bill this year."
The final deal reflects a compromise that funds operationally critical agencies while leaving ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations unfunded, a key Democratic demand, but excludes the statutory reforms initially sought, including body camera mandates and restrictions on enforcement practices.
Republicans have indicated they will pursue ICE funding through the budget reconciliation process, which would allow passage with a simple majority. Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso confirmed that strategy following the vote, as lawmakers prepare to recess and revisit the issue in April.
