US Senate unanimously approved a landmark funding package for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) early Friday morning at 2:20 AM. However, the bill deliberately excludes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The late-night deal left out ICE and Border Patrol funding after negotiators failed to agree on reforms Democrats demanded, following the fatal shooting of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers in January.
After 42 days of infighting on Capitol Hill and growing security lines at airports, the Senate passed this bill as a critical first step to end the DHS shutdown. Nevertheless, the House must still approve the measure before agencies can fully reopen.
The approved package funds the TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Additionally, TSA officers will finally receive their long-overdue back pay. Following weeks without paychecks, TSA call-out rates surged to 11% nationally, with some airports exceeding 40%.
Meanwhile, just hours before the Senate vote, President Trump directed the newly installed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to swiftly pay TSA agents to reduce long airport lines.
Furthermore, Republican leaders noted that ICE and CBP still hold $75 billion from last year’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” giving both agencies a financial cushion.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged the compromise. “I still think it’s unfortunate. The Dems wanted reforms. We tried to work with them on reforms. They ended up getting no reforms,” he said.
The bill now moves to the House, where a vote could occur as early as Friday. Consequently, lawmakers across both chambers are racing to resolve the impasse before a scheduled two-week recess begins.
“Sources: NPR | NBC News | CNN | ABC News | The Hill | CNBC”
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