Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have rejected a bipartisan Senate proposal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), instead passing their own plan that is unlikely to advance in the Senate and effectively prolongs the agency’s shutdown.
The Senate had approved legislation that would restore funding to most DHS operations but exclude immigration enforcement agencies in order to secure Democratic support. However, House Republican leaders dismissed the measure, with Speaker Mike Johnson calling the Senate proposal “a joke.”
Late Friday, House Republicans passed their alternative bill in a 213–203 vote. Their plan would fund DHS at current levels for 60 days, including continued funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other immigration enforcement agencies. The legislation now returns to the Senate, where Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has already declared it “dead on arrival.”
The dispute has left tens of thousands of federal employees working without pay. About 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers responsible for airport security have gone more than a month without salaries since the funding lapse began in mid-February. The situation has disrupted operations at airports across the United States, where staffing shortages have produced long lines and delays at security checkpoints.
Some airport systems report that only between one-third and half of TSA checkpoints are currently operating as usual, as many agents have stopped reporting to work or left their positions entirely. Hundreds have reportedly resigned since the shutdown began.
In response to the crisis, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the administration to issue payments to TSA officers. The Department of Homeland Security said on social media that agents could begin receiving paychecks as early as March 30. However, the move could face legal challenges because the U.S. Constitution grants Congress authority over federal spending.
The political standoff centers largely on immigration policy. House Republicans insist that any funding bill must include continued financing for immigration enforcement operations. Democrats, however, have demanded reforms to ICE and other agencies before agreeing to restore funding. Proposed changes include banning racial profiling, requiring judicial warrants before agents enter private property, and prohibiting immigration officers from wearing masks during operations.
Democrats have also pointed to recent controversy surrounding ICE actions, including a deadly incident earlier this year in Minneapolis in which two U.S. citizens were shot by federal agents during enforcement operations.
With Congress heading into a two-week recess, lawmakers are unlikely to resolve the dispute soon, raising concerns that disruptions at airports and across other DHS services could worsen in the coming weeks.
