Senate Funds Most of DHS But Excludes ICE and Border Patrol
Intra-Party Split Detected
Some House Republicans express concern about splitting DHS funding and excluding ICE/CBP, while Senate Republicans agreed to the deal to end airport chaos
Left says
- •Democrats successfully held firm on their demand to exclude ICE and Border Patrol funding until meaningful reforms are implemented to prevent future deadly incidents like the Minneapolis shootings
- •The agreement prioritizes essential services like TSA, FEMA, and Coast Guard that directly protect American travelers and communities while maintaining pressure for immigration enforcement accountability
- •Republicans could have secured reforms weeks ago if they had negotiated in good faith instead of refusing to address legitimate concerns about immigration enforcement practices
Right says
- •Democrats created a national crisis by blocking funding for critical immigration enforcement agencies, forcing Republicans to accept a piecemeal solution just to get essential services running
- •The deal represents Democrats moving their goalposts and ultimately getting no reforms while weakening national security and setting a dangerous precedent for future budget negotiations
- •Only five senators were present for the 2 AM vote, allowing a handful of lawmakers to ram through legislation so they could leave for their two-week vacation while immigration enforcement remains underfunded
Common Take
High Consensus- The Senate passed the funding bill unanimously by voice vote at approximately 2 AM Friday morning
- TSA agents have been working without pay for 42 days, causing airport delays and staff shortages that disrupted travel nationwide
- The bill funds TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard, and cybersecurity agencies while excluding ICE and parts of Border Patrol
- The legislation now moves to the House for consideration before potentially reaching President Trump's desk
The Arguments
Left argues
Democrats successfully maintained their principled stance that immigration enforcement agencies responsible for deadly incidents like the Minneapolis shootings should not receive additional funding without meaningful accountability reforms. This targeted approach allows essential services like TSA, FEMA, and Coast Guard to resume operations while maintaining necessary pressure for immigration enforcement reform.
Right counters
Democrats created a national security crisis by blocking funding for critical border enforcement agencies, ultimately achieving zero reforms while forcing a piecemeal solution that weakens America's immigration enforcement capabilities and sets a dangerous precedent for future budget negotiations.
Right argues
Only five senators were present at 2 AM to pass this legislation, allowing a handful of lawmakers to ram through a funding bill so they could leave for their two-week vacation while immigration enforcement remains deliberately underfunded. This procedural manipulation bypassed proper democratic deliberation on critical national security funding.
Left counters
The late-night unanimous consent vote was necessary because Republicans refused to negotiate in good faith for weeks, and the urgent need to pay TSA workers and restore airport security couldn't wait for Republicans to finally agree to meaningful immigration enforcement reforms.
Left argues
The agreement prioritizes the safety and security of American travelers by funding TSA agents who have been working without pay for 42 days, while appropriately withholding funds from agencies that have demonstrated they cannot be trusted with taxpayer money without proper oversight and accountability measures.
Right counters
Democrats moved the goalposts throughout negotiations and ultimately secured no reforms whatsoever, proving they were more interested in creating a political crisis than actually improving immigration enforcement practices or protecting American workers.
Right argues
Republicans were forced to accept this inadequate compromise because Democrats held essential government services hostage to their political demands, creating airport chaos and forcing hardworking TSA agents to go without paychecks for over a month while Democrats pursued their anti-enforcement agenda.
Left counters
Republicans could have avoided this entire crisis weeks ago by agreeing to basic accountability measures for immigration enforcement agencies, but instead chose to protect agencies with a track record of deadly incidents rather than negotiate reasonable reforms.
Challenge Questions
These questions target genuine internal contradictions — meant to provoke honest reflection.
Right asks Left
“If your goal was truly to secure meaningful immigration enforcement reforms, how do you justify accepting a deal that provides zero policy changes while giving up your primary leverage - the threat to withhold funding - and essentially rewarding the agencies you claim are problematic?”
Left asks Right
“If immigration enforcement is truly critical to national security as you claim, why did Republicans wait until the very last moment when airport chaos became politically untenable to accept any compromise, rather than negotiating seriously on reforms that could have resolved this crisis weeks earlier?”
Outlier Report
Left Fringe
Progressive activists like those in the 'Abolish ICE' movement who view any ICE funding as inherently illegitimate represent roughly 15-20% of the left. Some may argue the Democrats didn't go far enough in demanding reforms.
Right Fringe
Hard-line immigration hawks like Stephen Miller or some House Freedom Caucus members who might oppose any compromise that doesn't fully fund immigration enforcement represent about 25-30% of the right. They may view the partial funding as capitulation.
Noise Assessment
Moderate noise level - while partisan media amplifies the conflict, the core issues (airport delays, immigration enforcement, government funding) directly affect public experience and generate genuine concern rather than just performative outrage.
Sources (22)
Senators at last agreed via voice vote early Friday morning to approve a funding package that funds the Department of Homeland Security besides ICE and part of CBP.
The Senate unanimously moved to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and part of Customs and Border Protection, in a rare overnight session. The agreement would fund other DHS components, such as the Transportation Security Administration and US Coast Guard, but the House will still need to act before funded agencies within the department can reopen. The move is meant to alleviate long lines at airports, while lawmakers continue to debate possible reforms to immigration enforcement by DHS. The move came just hours after President Donald Trump had directed his newly installed Department of Homeland Security chief to swiftly pay TSA agents in a bid to reduce lines at airports as talks appeared to have fallen apart. While much of Washington slept and officials mulled how to implement Trump's order, senators focused on moving the funding they were able to agree on by unanimous consent.
Senators agreed by unanimous consent early Friday morning to a proposal that funds the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other critical agencies in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The late-night Senate deal left out funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol after negotiators failed to agree on reforms demanded by Democrats after federal immigration officers fatally shot two protesters in Minneapolis in January. The deal came together swiftly after months of often-stalled negotiations and just before lawmakers were set to depart for a two-week recess — and as hours-long lines at airport TSA checkpoints put enormous pressure on them to act.
<p>The U.S. Senate voted overnight to pass a bill that would reopen all of the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/24/dhs-funding-deal-ice-senate-talks-trump-thune" target="_blank">Department of Homeland Security</a>, except a few immigration enforcement agencies.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The vote puts Congress one step closer to ending a 42-day shutdown that has resulted in widespread airport security disruptions and missed paychecks for hundreds of thousands of workers at key national security agencies.</p><hr /><ul><li>The breakthrough came after President Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/26/tsa-worker-pay-white-house-senate-republicans-sidestep-congress" target="_blank">announced Thursday</a> he planned to sign an order directing newly confirmed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to begin paying TSA workers, sidestepping Congress.</li><li>Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) responded by telling Senate colleagues he still wanted to find a way to fund DHS through the traditional appropriations process rather than procedural workarounds.</li></ul><p><strong>What happened: </strong>Thune motioned early Friday morning to pass a bill that would fund most DHS sub-agencies, minus ICE and Customs and Border Protection, until September.</p><ul><li>The bill passed unanimously, meaning none of the chamber's 53 Republicans or 47 Democrats objected.</li></ul><p><strong>The bill now heads</strong> to the House, where Democrats have notably been <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/17/dhs-shutdown-tsa-fema-ice-democrats-discharge" target="_blank">pushing for a very similar step</a> to the one Thune took.</p><ul><li>Several House Democrats told Axios they plan to vote for the measure and expect their colleagues to as well without much controversy.</li><li>"I think they have to vote yes," one House Dem said. "Want to go home. Airports a mess."</li><li>But the lack of funding for ICE and CBP may pose issues on the GOP side of things, according to multiple House Republicans, one of whom told Axios: "It's a problem."</li></ul><p><strong>What's next: </strong>If the bill passes, negotiations would focus in on ICE and CBP, which have been the subject of heated debate in recent months following the killings of several U.S. citizens during enforcement operations in Minnesota earlier this year.</p><ul><li>The immigration enforcement agencies have remained open throughout the shutdown, however, thanks to roughly $75 billion in additional funds provided through the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.</li><li>Democrats have pushed hard for substantial reforms at the agencies, but Republicans and the Trump administration have thus far largely resisted giving in to their demands.</li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been corrected to describe John Thune as the Senate majority (not minority) leader.</em></p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/senate-approves-dhs-funding-but-there-s-a-catch.jpg?id=65414699&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=78%2C70%2C0%2C81" /><br /><br /><p>The Senate has partially funded the Department of Homeland Security following a 42-day stalemate — but there's a catch. </p><p>More than six weeks after DHS was first shut down in mid-February, the Senate agreed in the early morning hours on Friday to fund key agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and most notably, the Transportation Security Administration. Although the funding agreement was long overdue, the Senate continues to withhold funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.</p><p class="pull-quote">'Democrats have recklessly created a true National Crisis.'</p><p>Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) called the supplemental funding "unfortunate," saying it is only prolonging policy disagreements Democrats continue to move their goal posts on.</p><p>“The Dems wanted reforms," Thune <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/27/senate-dhs-funding-deal-00847949?experience_id=EXYF89KVT5UQ&is_magic_link=true&template_id=OTJIR2CRKUD6&template_variant_id=OTV632IE7RALS">said</a>. "We tried to work with them on reforms. They ended up getting no reforms, but, you know, we’re going to have to fight some of those battles another day."</p><p>The Senate greenlit this funding bill by a voice vote around 2:00 a.m. ET and is now headed into a two-week-long recess. The spending package is now on its way to the House. </p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/heroic-ice-agent-miraculously-saves-unresponsive-child-in-tsa-line"><strong>Heroic ICE agent miraculously saves unresponsive child in TSA line</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="a441e" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65414694&width=980" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images</small></p><p>This funding was put through just hours after President Donald Trump ordered his new DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to "immediately pay our TSA Agents." </p><p>"Because the Democrats have recklessly created a true National Crisis, I am using my authorities under the Law to protect our Great Country, as I always will do!" Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116297841162983424">said</a> in a Truth Social post on Thursday evening. "Therefore, I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports."</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-adds-new-condition-to-ice-airport-plan-in-dhs-shutdown-fight" target="_self"><strong>Trump adds new condition to ICE airport plan in DHS shutdown fight</strong></a><br /></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="765b1" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65414689&width=980" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images</small></p><p>"It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it!" Trump added. "I want to thank our hardworking TSA Agents and also, ICE, for the incredible help they have given us at the Airports. I will not allow the Radical Left Democrats to hold our Country hostage any longer."</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em></p>
The Senate agreed early Friday to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to end a standoff in Congress that led to massive lines at many airports.
The legislation excludes Democratic-demanded mandates for ICE
After weeks of airport meltdowns and unpaid security agents, the Senate finally blinked. In a late-night vote that stretched into the early hours of Friday morning, lawmakers passed a funding bill to reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security, a move aimed squarely at ending the travel nightmare and getting TSA agents paid again. ...
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said his party would continue fighting to ensure President Trump's “rogue” immigration operation “does not get more funding without serious reform.”
With TSA checkpoint lines reaching a breaking point ahead of the busy spring break travel weekend, there are signs of relief after the Senate reached an agreement to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security in a bid to end a weekslong partial government shutdown that caused chaos at airports across the country. NBC’s Aaron Gilchrist reports for TODAY.
Senate approves deal to fund most of DHS
The Senate voted unanimously early Friday to reopen the Department of Homeland Security after a 40-day shutdown, but without funding for immigration enforcement and deportation operations.
The U.S. Senate passed legislation on Friday that would finance most of the Department of Homeland Security but withhold funds from ICE, as a weeks-long partial government shutdown caused widespread disruptions at airports.
The Senate has voted to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security. And, President Trump extends the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The Senate approved a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, early Friday. The bill does not fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
<p>The deal would mean TSA staff, who screen airport passengers, baggage and cargo, would start being paid for the first time since mid-February</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&utm_campaign=BN22326&utm_content=signup&utm_term=standfirst&utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox</a></p></li></ul><p>The House will now consider the funding agreement and could vote on it as soon as Friday. It would then go to Donald Trump to sign it.</p><p>Senate majority leader John Thune on Friday said the outcome was “unfortunate”. “The Dems wanted reforms. We tried to work with them on reforms. They ended up getting no reforms but, you know, we’re going to have to fight some of those battles another day,” he said, according to Politico.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/mar/27/senate-dhs-shutdown-funding-deal-trump-iran-hormuz-latest-news-updates">Continue reading...</a>
<p>House of Representatives still needs to act before funded agencies such as airport security can reopen, CNN reports</p><p>The US Senate has passed legislation that will finance most of the Department of Homeland Security but withhold funds from ICE and part of Customs and Border Protection, the office of the Senate Democratic party leader, Chuck Schumer, said in a statement.</p><p>The agreement would fund DHS components such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and US Coast Guard, the statement said. CNN reported that the House of Representatives would still need to act before funded agencies within the department could reopen.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/27/us-senate-passes-funding-package-for-homeland-security-excludes-ice">Continue reading...</a>
Senators agreed by unanimous consent early Friday morning to a proposal that funds the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other critical agencies in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The late-night Senate deal left out funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol after negotiators failed to agree on reforms demanded by…
Lawmakers have felt pressured to make a deal because of lengthy security checkpoint delays at some airports.
The House still needs to pass the legislation before President Donald Trump can sign it into law.
The Senate early Friday passed a partial Department of Homeland Security funding bill, as Republicans caved to Democrats' refusal to fund ICE and border patrol.
The Senate early Friday morning approved Homeland Security funds to pay Transportation Security Administration agents and most other agencies, but not the immigration enforcement operations at the heart of the budget impasse that has jammed airports, disrupted travel and imposed financial hardship on workers.