US Senate passes funding package for Homeland Security that excludes ICE

Key Points:

• The US Senate passed legislation to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) but withheld funds from ICE and part of Customs and Border Protection, according to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer's office.
• The funding package includes agencies like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the US Coast Guard but still requires House approval before these agencies can resume full operations.
• The DHS has been unfunded since February 13 due to disputes over immigration enforcement rules, following the shooting deaths of two US citizens by agents in Minneapolis, which has fueled Democratic demands for changes.
• President Donald Trump threatened executive action to pay 50,000 airport security workers and pressured Republicans to withhold DHS funding until Democrats agreed to voter ID requirements in the Save America Act.
• The funding lapse has caused significant TSA staffing shortages, with many workers unpaid for five weeks, leading to increased absences and some quitting, reaching the highest absenteeism since the partial government shutdown began.