It appears that the longest partial US government shutdown in history is coming to an end. The shutdown was sparked by disagreements over whether DHS funding should include full support for Trump’s immigration agenda. The Senate passed a bill funding most DHS functions without ICE and CBP provisions, but House conservatives rejected it, demanding full funding for border operations. Both chambers then recessed without a deal, prolonging the impasse until a recent leadership compromise.
The shutdown reached almost two months, surpassing the previous longest funding lapse, which ended in November 2025. Chaos erupted at airports due to a shortage of TSA officers at security checkpoints, who had gone without paychecks since the shutdown began.
Congress has agreed to move forward with a Senate-passed bill to reopen the DHS, leaving ICE and CBP funding for a later package. The decision follows weeks of partisan blame-trading over a shutdown affecting federal workers and services. House Democrats are expected to help pass the plan, though some conservatives remain opposed.
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Why the House Has Trust Issues With the Senate
Last week, in the middle of the night, the Senate passed a bill to fund most of the DHS, while leaving the immigration enforcement portion for a later date. It passed in a unanimous voice vote, meaning no one objected, so it advanced through the chamber without a roll call vote. Then it was sent over to the House, and the Senate left town for its two-week recess.
The Senate played a clever trick by leaving the other chamber no choice but to pass what was given to them, or take the blame for the shutdown continuing. This happens quite a bit, and usually the House just has to swallow whatever it’s given. But this time, the pushback came from House Republicans. Some of them were very vocal about their distrust of the Senate.
“It is absolutely offensive to the people we represent that the Senate would send over a bill that doesn’t fund Border Patrol and the core components of ICE,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told reporters. “I mean, could the Senate be any more lazy than to send to us a bill that doesn’t do the job and then leave town? So we’re going to stand up and say no to that.”
The House representatives did stand up to the Senate this time. The House instead passed a 60-day temporary extension to fund the entire department, buying time for negotiations, a proposal that was dead on arrival with Democrats in the Senate. Consequently, both chambers left for recess without a plan.
That changed this week, when Speaker Mike Johnson released a joint statement with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, announcing they would move ahead with the original plan. The House will pass the Senate deal, and they’ll fund immigration enforcement in a later spending package.
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What the Deal Means for DHS and Federal Workers
The shutdown has left many DHS employees without pay for over two months. President Trump authorized some payments via executive action to ease the situation. The new funding agreement would restore full operations for most DHS agencies, including TSA and the Coast Guard, while ICE and CBP await separate negotiations.
Despite the agreement, partisan blame games continue. Congressman Mike Lawler accused Democrats of deliberately shutting down DHS to avoid enforcing immigration laws. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer admitted Democrats delayed funding to push ICE and CBP reforms, blaming Republicans for rejecting oversight measures. The exchanges highlight how immigration enforcement remains the core sticking point in the funding battle.
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