Senate Funds Homeland Security, but Leaves ICE Out of the Deal

The Senate unanimously agreed early Friday to fund the Department of Homeland Security, ending a 40-day shutdown, though the deal pointedly leaves out funding for immigration enforcement and deportation operations.

Senators approved the package at 2:20 a.m. by voice vote, wrapping up a marathon overnight session just hours after President Donald Trump announced he would sign an order to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration officers. The funding lapse had left TSA workers without paychecks, pushing many to call out of work and causing airport delays of up to four hours across the country.

The deal came together after six weeks of stop-and-start bipartisan negotiations. It funds all of DHS except Immigration and Customs Enforcement's enforcement and removal operations, along with parts of Customs and Border Protection. Democrats refused to approve that funding without significant reforms to enforcement practices.

Trump's backing of the package could help pull Republican votes in the House, though some conservatives have already raised concerns about splitting ICE funding from the rest of the bill. The House faces two paths forward: leadership can run the measures through the Rules Committee for a simple majority vote, or Speaker Mike Johnson can bring them to the floor under suspension, which would require two-thirds of the House to agree just to take them up. The House was set to hold an unrelated vote Friday morning before leaving for recess, leaving the bill's immediate fate unclear.