House GOP relents on DHS funding plan after Trump weighs in

Key Points:

• Congressional GOP leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, announced plans to quickly end the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown by fully funding DHS through both the appropriations and reconciliation processes, following President Trump's June 1 deadline.
• President Trump urged Republicans to use reconciliation, a procedural tool that bypasses Democratic filibuster, to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, signaling support for a plan that funds most of DHS through a bipartisan deal and immigration enforcement through reconciliation.
• The GOP strategy marks a reversal for House Republicans who previously rejected a Senate bill for not including immigration enforcement funding, emphasizing the importance of border security as a key 2024 election issue.
• The reconciliation process requires agreement on a budget resolution and could potentially fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for up to 10 years, though some House Republicans remain skeptical and oppose separating immigration enforcement funding from full DHS funding.
• With Congress adjourned for two weeks and Democrats refusing to fund immigration enforcement without operational constraints, GOP leaders face internal divisions and challenges in swiftly passing the necessary legislation to reopen DHS.