Republican leaders agree to advance funding deal to end DHS shutdown

Key Points:

• Republican leaders in Congress have agreed to advance legislation funding most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operations, excluding immigration enforcement, potentially ending the longest partial DHS shutdown in US history.
• The funding lapse caused severe TSA staffing shortages and long airport security lines, which eased after President Trump ordered TSA employees to receive pay.
• The proposed measure excludes funding for ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection, addressing Democratic objections related to immigration enforcement practices and demands for reforms.
• Senate Republicans plan to fund ICE separately through a budget reconciliation process, bypassing Democratic opposition, while the timing for passing the DHS funding bill remains uncertain due to congressional recess.
• Democrats criticized Republicans for prolonging the shutdown and emphasized their refusal to support funding that lacks reforms on immigration enforcement, while Republicans prepare for tough negotiations on the reconciliation bill including border security and voting regulations.