DHS shutdown remains longest in U.S. history
DHS shutdown became longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history at 44 days; House Republicans rejected bipartisan Senate bill funding most DHS except ICE.
Objective Facts
The DHS shutdown crossed into new territory on Sunday, March 29, becoming the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history at 44 days. On Friday March 28, House Republicans voted to pass a short-term funding bill with no viable Senate path, hours after the Senate passed a bipartisan bill to fund all of DHS except ICE and Customs and Border Protection. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the Senate bill "a joke." Trump signed an executive order Friday directing DHS to pay TSA workers, with paychecks expected as early as Monday. The House and Senate left for a two-week spring recess with DHS unfunded.
Left-Leaning Perspective
House Democrats robustly backed the Senate plan, with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stating there is a bipartisan bill every senator supported that has the votes to pass. Democratic leaders said the bipartisan bill could have passed the House and ended the shutdown had Speaker Johnson brought it to the floor. Rep. Susie Lee stated the American public is demanding guardrails on ICE, which has "terrorized communities across this country" and "resulted in the death of two American citizens." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats held firm opposing what he called "Donald Trump's rogue and deadly militia" without serious reforms. Schumer argued the Senate bill "funds TSA, the Coast Guard, FEMA and cybersecurity agencies, and strengthens security at the border." Top Senate Republicans claimed they included ICE reforms like officer-worn body cameras and reduced detention beds, but Democrats said the framework omitted demands like judicial warrants for agents entering homes and bans on face coverings. Some Democrats warned that a funding agreement without policy changes diminishes their leverage. Democratic messaging emphasizes "no blank check for a lawless ICE and Border Patrol." Notably, Democrats achieved parity funding for non-ICE agencies but failed to secure substantive operational constraints on immigration enforcement they had demanded for weeks.
Right-Leaning Perspective
In a 213-203 vote, Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans passed a bill fully funding all DHS for eight weeks, including border and immigration money that the Senate deal left out. Johnson told Thune it shouldn't be a surprise that House Republicans wouldn't accept splitting apart ICE and CBP, saying "we're not going to split apart two of the most important agencies." The House Freedom Caucus, led by Rep. Andy Harris, said they would only support adding ICE and CBP funding back plus a federal voter ID requirement. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole stated Democrats have "kept the Department of Homeland Security shuttered for weeks." He noted cybersecurity operations are at limited capacity as adversaries exploit vulnerabilities, training for first responders is canceled, and FEMA grants can't be accessed. Senate Majority Leader John Thune blamed Democrats, saying "President Trump should never have had to step in to rescue TSA workers" and attributed the shutdown to "Democrats' determined refusal to reach an agreement." Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins accused Democrats of remaining "intransigent and unreasonable" and doing "real damage to the appropriations process." Some GOP lawmakers privately acknowledged they're in treacherous political territory with no clear plan, but others told CNN there's so much anger within House GOP that party leaders have no choice but fight what they see as a massive win for Democrats. Republicans position the shutdown as a Democratic hostage-taking over immigration ideology rather than legitimate oversight concerns.
Deep Dive
The DHS shutdown now stretches 45 days—longer than any partial shutdown in U.S. history. The core dispute is ideological and legislative. Democrats, citing two fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis in January, demand operational constraints on ICE before funding it. Republicans, controlling both chambers, insist on full DHS funding including ICE and CBP, viewing Democratic demands as hostage-taking that undermines executive authority. The Senate passed a bipartisan bill early Friday excluding ICE/CBP funding but allowing those agencies to draw on $75 billion already appropriated under Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill." House Republicans immediately rejected this as a Democratic victory and passed their own bill funding all DHS, knowing it has no Senate path. Trump signed an emergency order to pay TSA workers unilaterally, partly undercutting the urgency Republicans had used as leverage. Both parties blame each other while leaving town on recess. Each side has legitimate points the other omits. Republicans correctly note that ICE and CBP maintain funding from prior appropriations and that Democrats rejected compromises including some body camera and detention reforms. Democrats correctly note that the Senate bill did not include their substantive operational demands (warrants, face covering bans) and that the two Minneapolis killings justify demanding oversight before new funding. Republicans frame the shutdown as pure obstruction; Democrats see themselves as enforcing accountability for lethal agency conduct. The real divide isn't about airport chaos—both sides regret TSA suffering—but about whether Trump's immigration enforcement requires legislative constraint, and whether denying funding is an appropriate leverage tool. The shutdown will likely persist through April recess unless one side concedes or Trump negotiates a compromise. Trump's unilateral TSA pay order signals his willingness to work around Congress, potentially weakening Republican negotiating position if it succeeds. The House and Senate remain fundamentally misaligned: House GOP demands full funding; Senate Democrats demand ICE operational reforms. With both chambers on recess until mid-April, no resolution is imminent.