Trump Restarts Pay; Senators Fund DHS Without ICE or Mask Ban Rules
President Donald J. Trump has signed a presidential memorandum to immediately restore pay for TSA officers who continued working without compensation during recent funding lapses. Meanwhile, the Senate approved legislation on Friday that funds most Department of Homeland Security agencies while explicitly excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from receiving appropriations due to disagreements over mask mandates and judicial warrant requirements in immigration enforcement cases.
Key Points
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1The U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation on March 27 that would reopen almost all DHS agencies through June.
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2This deal restores funding for TSA and other civilian employees but explicitly excludes money for immigration enforcement under ICE, CBP, or Border Patrol.
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3Senate Democrats secured key concessions by failing to mandate a ban on mask-wearing agents in the final agreement reached with Republicans.
Developments
Perspectives
The House will vote on its own stopgap plan rather than relying solely on Senate-approved legislation.
— (CBS News)Senate Democrats approved funding for most DHS agencies and TSA workers but failed to include bans on ICE agents wearing masks or requirements that they obtain judicial warrants before entering private areas of airports, representing a loss in key immigration enforcement reforms compared with their initial demands. The deal also excluded all money specifically earmarked for Immigration Enforcement.
— (News Republic)The Senate approved funding to reopen almost the entire Department of Homeland Security while exempting funds only from ICE and Customs and Border Protection, which was described as a face-saving compromise between two political parties tired of airport chaos. The measure passed by unanimous consent early Friday morning.
— (Semafor)Conservatives in Congress have expressed significant headwinds against the Senate-approved bill to fund most DHS agencies including TSA and other departments, indicating major hurdles for its passage as it moves through both chambers of government during Day 42 of a shutdown. The House could vote on this legislation early Friday.
— (CBS News)After over forty days of infighting at Capitol Hill leading to growing security lines in airports and the first significant step toward ending DHS funding lapses, there remains much work left before fully reopening all departments including those for immigration enforcement. The Senate voted unanimously on this deal early Friday morning.
— (MSNBC)The U.S. Senate approved a deal reopening most of Department of Homeland Security while excluding funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection's immigration enforcement, though it requires further approval from Congress before President Trump can sign into law. This compromise ended five weeks without progress but still leaves Democrats dissatisfied with the lack of requested changes to their demands regarding border security resources.
Congressional chambers controlled by Republicans are at odds over funding for Immigration Enforcement within a Department of Homeland Security shutdown that began in mid-February; while Democrats demanded constraints on immigration enforcement following officer killings two U.S. citizens were shot, the Senate approved legislation excluding additional funds and ICE/Border Patrol operations remain exempt from impacts due to prior Republican appropriations under their 'big beautiful' law
Senate Democrats approved DHS funding that restored paychecks for TSA workers but rejected proposed immigration enforcement reforms like banning masks or requiring judicial warrants in searches. While Senate Majority Leader John Thune criticized Democratic leaders, Senator Chuck Schumer defended the caucus's unity and pledged to continue fighting for those missed opportunities through future legislative efforts such as budget reconciliation.
The U.S. House has rejected funding for immigration enforcement and voter ID requirements in its opposition to current DHS legislation due to pressure from conservative lawmakers like those on the Freedom Caucus. Consequently, Senate-approved measures excluding certain agencies face significant hurdles as they cannot easily pass through a party-line vote without Democratic support or additional concessions regarding these demands.