Senate approves partial DHS funding, except immigration enforcement

The Senate in a rare night session has approved partial funding for DHS, excluding immigration enforcement, early on Friday morning, March 27, 2026.

The agreement reached overnight would fund other DHS components, such as the Transportation Security Administration and US Coast Guard, but not Border Protection.

After negotiations were halted earlier Thursday, March 26, senators focused on advancing the funding they could agree on by a consensus.

The deadlock over DHS funding has caused delayed pay for thousands of TSA agents and other DHS workers, leading to travel delays and hundreds of flight cancellations across the country.

Ahead of the two-week Congress recess, tension at Capitol Hill rose, which influenced senators to end the impasse.

Senate majority leader John Thune said, “We can get at least a lot of the government opened up again, and then we’ll go from there. Obviously, we’ll still have some work ahead of us.”

When asked about the prospects of the bill sailing through the House, Thune said, “I don’t know what the House will do.”

The deal which the Senate gave a nod to on a bipartisan basis, next goes to the House, which is expected to review it today, Friday, March 27, 2026.

However, the package puts no new limits on immigration enforcement, which has largely remained unaffected by the 42 day shutdown.

Republicans' big tax cuts bill that President Trump signed into law last year poured billions in extra funds to DHS, including $75 billion for ICE operations, to make sure the immigration officers continue to be paid even amid the lapse.