Dhs Shutdown

Bill clears 50–48 vote to boost ICE and CBP funding as Democrats oppose and shutdown continuesUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailSenate Republicans on Thursday approved a plan to fund Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants for the remainder of his term and pave the way for an end to the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).The budget resolution adopted along a near party line vote in the early morning hours sets the stage for Congress to craft legislation allocating as much as $140b to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), two agencies at the forefront of Trump’s mass deportation agenda that have been without funding since mid-February, when the DHS shutdown began. Continue reading...

• A partial U.S. government shutdown continues, with furloughed federal workers facing delayed paychecks amid congressional deadlock on funding. • The standoff centers on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations, affecting air travel and federal operations. • Senators discuss a potential deal pairing government funding with long-term bills and a vote on health care tax credit extensions.

The partial government shutdown has now lasted eight weeks with Congress on recess until 13 AprilHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The record-breaking partial government shutdown has now entered its eighth week, with little end in sight.Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into a law a bill that allows the state to designate terrorist groups, then punish those who promote them. Critics say the law will threaten free speech, especially on school campuses. The bill specifics bars the state’s courts from enforcing foreign religious laws, specifically naming Sharia Law. Florida courts enforce secular laws passed in the state, however.Representative Yassamin Ansari, an Arizona Democrat, will introduce impeachment articles next week against defense secretary Pete Hegseth. “Only Congress has the power to declare war, not a rogue president or his lackeys,” Ansari said in a statement.Donald Trump reiterated his threats to bomb Iranian energy and civilian infrastructure if the White House does not reach a deal to reopen the strait of Hormuz 8pm ET today. “The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said during a 90-minute press conference Monday afternoon.District court judges have been increasingly issuing strong rulings challenging the legality of many of Trump’s policies and power grabs, blocking key ones at least temporarily, and sparking angry responses from the president, former judges and prosecutors say.Trump threatened to jail a journalist – or journalists – who reported that a second US airman was missing after being shot down by Iran on Friday in an effort to identify their source. The badly injured airman hid in a mountain crevice to avoid capture before being rescued by a US recovery team that received heavy fire. Continue reading...

• President Trump stated he will sign an executive order to pay all DHS employees despite the ongoing government shutdown, posting 'Help is on the way' on social media. • The move comes as funding lapses continue, with Trump aiming to mitigate employee hardship amid stalled congressional negotiations. • It underscores executive efforts to address shutdown impacts while pressuring lawmakers for a full funding resolution.

US president issues executive order as longest partial government shutdown in US history enters 49th dayDonald Trump issued an executive order Friday that declares all Department of Homeland Security employees will receive pay and benefits during the agency’s partial shutdown.The “Liberating the Department of Homeland Security From the Democrat-Caused Shutdown” memo is similar to Trump’s executive order from last week which called for issuing pay to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents during the shutdown.In the order, Trump directed the homeland security secretary, Markwayne Mullin, to “use funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to the functions of DHS” to pay “each and every employee of DHS”. Continue reading...

Measure that would fund homeland security but exclude money for ICE could conclude lengthy funding lapseAn end to the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may be in sight, after Congress’s Republican leaders on Wednesday agreed to advance legislation that would fund the majority of the agency’s operations, with the exception of those involved in immigration enforcement.The pact may conclude the longest such funding lapse in US history, which last month caused security lines to stretch for hours at some airports as employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a subagency of DHS, quit their jobs or called out of work after going weeks without pay. Continue reading...

Union boss says workers have received some, but not all, of their paySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Security lines have eased at airports, clearing the worst of the bottlenecks as Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) officers began receiving backpay for working during the government shutdown.Allegations swirl that a broker for Pete Hegseth inquired into an investment in key defense companies before the Iran war began. The Morgan Stanley broker allegedly made an inquiry with BlackRock regarding an investment into a defense-focused equity fund. The Pentagon denied the allegations calling them “entirely false and fabricated”.Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after Donald Trump. This would make the airport the latest in a long list of institutions, government programs, buildings and even money named after the president.The US government has directed all of its embassies and consulates to launch coordinated campaigns against foreign propaganda. Marco Rubio signed a cable on Monday directing the embassies to coordinate with the US military’s psychological operations unit to address disinformation. It suggested using Elon Musk’s social media platform X to carry out the campaign.José Guadalupe Ramos, a Mexican national, becomes the 14th known person to die in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since the beginning of the year. He was found unconscious in his bunk last week at the Adelanto detention center in California and pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby medical center.The army is investigating a helicopter fly-by at Kid Rock’s hillside swimming pool in Tennessee on Saturday. Two army choppers on a training run visited and hovered by the rocker’s house as he saluted them. According to the army, there was no official request for the fly-by, which triggered the administrative review. Continue reading...

• President Trump is pressing Congress to cut short its two-week recess and return to fund the Department of Homeland Security, now over 40 days into the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history. • White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Trump offered to host a big Easter dinner if lawmakers return to fight Democrats on the issue. • The House passed a bill to fund DHS through May 22, but top Democrats called it 'dead on arrival' in the Senate; Senate partially funded DHS except ICE and border protection last Friday.

Trump has ordered pay be restored to TSA employees but it is unclear where money will come from and whether he has such legal powersHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Airports continue to warn passengers to arrive several hours early due to unpredictable Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wait times, as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) became the longest shutdown in US history.A generational divide over the Iran war has emerged between older attendees and their political heirs at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Texas, as the group’s leaders pleaded for unity ahead of a challenging midterm election year for Republicans. More here.Iran has warned the US that it is prepared to confront any ground assault, accusing Washington of secretly planning a land attack while publicly seeking talks, as the war that has killed thousands of people and caused the biggest ever disruption to global energy supplies entered its second month. More here.US lawmakers have responded to reports that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran as thousands of US troops assemble in the Middle East and the conflict showed signs of entering a more dangerous phase. More here.The abortion rate is holding steady in the US despite total and partial bans in some states – largely because of travel across state lines and a significant increase in telehealth appointments, a new report says. More here.Pope Leo has said God ignores the prayers of leaders who wage war and have “hands full of blood”, in an apparent rebuke to the Trump administration. The pontiff made the comments on Sunday as thousands of US troops arrived in the Middle East.More than 8 million people protested against the Trump administration at more than 3,300 No Kings events across the US and in more than a dozen countries on Saturday, according to organizers. Continue reading...

If the now-six-week partial shutdown continues after the weekend, it will become the longest of any shutdownThe shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the fourth largest agency in the US government, became the longest partial shutdown in US history on Sunday.If the now-six-week partial shutdown continues after the weekend, it will also become the longest of any shutdown, surpassing the impasse late last year that dragged on for 43 days. Continue reading...

• The House passed legislation on Friday to fund the Department of Homeland Security for 60 days at current levels through May 22, extending funding for all agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement. • The measure cleared the House 213–203, with three Democrats voting alongside Republicans, automatically passing once the rule was adopted without a separate floor vote. • Senate Democrats rejected the House GOP proposal as "dead on arrival," having already passed their own bipartisan bill that excluded ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection funding.

• The Senate voted early Friday morning to approve a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that excludes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and portions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), ending weeks of stalled negotiations. • Republicans indicated they plan to fund immigration enforcement agencies through a separate reconciliation bill in fiscal 2027, bypassing the normal appropriations process and relying solely on GOP votes. • The Senate-passed measure faces significant obstacles in the House, where hardline conservatives have already signaled opposition, threatening to extend the DHS shutdown beyond its current five-week duration.

• President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA agents after House Republicans blocked the Senate's funding plan for the agency. • The partial government shutdown has caused widespread disruptions at airports across the country, with long security lines and traveler frustrations continuing nationwide. • The executive action represents an attempt to maintain airport security operations while funding negotiations continue between Congress and the White House.

• The U.S. Senate approved a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA operations, but excluding ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection. • The measure addresses impacts from the partial government shutdown, where over 480 TSA officers quit and absences hit 40% at some airports. • President Trump announced plans to sign an executive order for immediate TSA agent payments, separate from the Senate bill.

• Senate passed a funding package by voice vote on March 27, 2026, covering most DHS operations except ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations, paving way to end partial shutdown before two-week recess. • Package includes $20 million for body cameras on immigration agents, drawing from January negotiations, while Republicans eyed reconciliation for more immigration funding. • Deal averts further disruptions amid Trump's unilateral TSA worker payments, with House potentially voting Friday; impacts $140 billion prior windfall for ICE and CBP.

The deal would mean TSA staff, who screen airport passengers, baggage and cargo, would start being paid for the first time since mid-FebruarySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The Senate has ended a budget standoff that has forced thousands of airport security staff to work without pay and caused long delays at airports.Democrats held firm in our opposition that Donald Trump’s rogue and deadly militia should not get more funding without serious reforms.US markets saw their biggest slump since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran on Thursday as Donald Trump said the conflict’s impact on oil prices had not been as bad as he expected. The Dow closed 450 points down, while the S&P 500 dipped 1.7%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 2.3%, plunging into correction territory, which happens when an index falls at least 10% below its most recent peak. More here.The department of treasury announced that US paper currency will soon feature President Donald Trump’s signature to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary. The move marks the first time a sitting US president’s signature will appear on legal tender. To accommodate this change, the treasurer’s signature will be removed for the first time since 1861. More here.The Senate failed to achieve 60 votes needed to pass an amendment to the Save America act that would require voters to present photo ID to cast a ballot. The chamber voted 52-47, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for it to pass. No Democrats voted for it. Earlier today, Trump urged Republicans to terminate the Senate filibuster.During a cabinet meeting today, Donald Trump said that Iran was letting 10 oil tankers through the strait of Hormuz as an apparent goodwill gesture in the supposed negotiations. He also repeated his earlier remarks that Iran is “begging to make a deal”.Donald Trump wants to renovate the White House’s treaty room, traditionally a meeting space for diplomats and statesman, into a guest bedroom with an en suite bathroom, according to the New York Times. Continue reading...

• The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday, March 26, 2026, to end the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, marking the third such attempt in two months after funding lapsed nearly six weeks ago. • The bill aims to restore operations but faces uncertain prospects in the Senate, unlikely to immediately resolve the prolonged funding crisis affecting border security and immigration enforcement. • This repeated House action underscores deepening partisan divides on federal spending priorities during a critical period for national security infrastructure.

Negotiations to end funding standoff sparked by Trump administration’s immigration crackdown fail to find a breakthroughSign up for the Breaking News US emailHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.There was no breakthrough in talk to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday as the shutdown extends to almost six weeks with no end in sight.The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Wednesday that airports across the country are experiencing the “highest wait times in TSA history”, as the partial shutdown of the DHS enters its sixth week. At a House homeland security committee hearing, Ha Nguyen McNeill said her agency has been shut down for 50% of the fiscal year so far – a stretch that includes last year’s record-breaking 43‑day lapse in federal funding. She told lawmakers that by Friday, TSA employees will have missed $1bn in paychecks as a result of the closures. More here.The US has launched another strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, killing four people, the US Southern Command said. The command, which oversees combatant operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced on X that it had conducted a “lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations”. More here.Progressive lawmakers have unveiled a new policy to place a moratorium on the construction of AI datacenters. The policy, announced by Bernie Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democratic representative, aims to ensure the AI boom protects the environment and communities, and benefits workers instead of harming them. More here.The Trump administration’s federal housing director Bill Pulte is asking prosecutors to investigate New York attorney general Letitia James for insurance fraud, according to criminal referrals reported by MS Now and CBS News. The referrals to prosecutors in Florida and Illinois allege that James may have committed mortgage insurance fraud. The allegations center on applications made to Universal Property Insurance company, which is based in Florida, and Allstate in Illinois. More here. Continue reading...

Party intends to craft a bill using the reconciliation procedure, which will allow it to circumvent the Senate filibusterUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailSenate Republicans on Wednesday announced plans to begin a unilateral push for legislation that may include funding for Donald Trump’s war with Iran and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while also including elements of a voter ID bill that is a priority of the party’s right wing.The legislative effort – which could take weeks to play out and has no guarantee of success – comes amid a protracted standoff with Democrats over the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has led to lengthy lines at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at some airports. Continue reading...

• The Department of Homeland Security shutdown risks becoming the longest-ever funding lapse for any federal agency as Congress remains deadlocked, with Democrats pushing to fund all DHS agencies except Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the secretary's office. • Republicans argue the entire department must be funded together and note that ICE and CBP already received approximately $140 billion from tax and spending legislation enacted last summer. • Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for immediate TSA funding while negotiations continue on outstanding immigration enforcement issues, but Republicans continue blocking Democratic proposals, holding federal workers hostage according to Democratic critics.

• House Republicans are advancing a resolution this week to affirm support for over 100,000 DHS employees, including 50,000 TSA frontline workers, unpaid for 37 days due to Democrats' refusal to fund the department. • The shutdown has led to $1 billion in monthly unpaid wages, coinciding with elevated terror threats including recent attacks in Texas, New York, Michigan, and Virginia, and FBI warnings of lone wolf attackers and sleeper cells. • Republicans highlight over 10 million illegal immigrants entering under Biden from 160 countries, including 400 on the Terrorist Watch List caught at borders, arguing the shutdown endangers national security.

• President Trump ordered federal immigration agents to assist TSA at U.S. airports by guarding exit lanes and checking IDs amid a partial DHS shutdown causing hourslong traveler waits and unpaid screeners. • Democrats express concerns that adding ICE presence could escalate tensions, demanding changes to immigration operations following deaths of two U.S. citizens by agents in Minneapolis. • Senate advanced Sen. Markwayne Mullin's nomination as DHS secretary by 54-37 vote, potentially confirming him Monday after Kristi Noem's tenure; border czar Tom Homan leads the airport effort.

• White House border czar Tom Homan met with bipartisan senators on Friday evening, March 20, proposing additional immigration enforcement concessions to resolve the ongoing Homeland Security shutdown now entering its fifth week. • Republicans offered fresh draft legislation addressing Democratic concerns, though judicial warrant requirements for immigration raids and identification masking policies remain contentious points between parties. • Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins called the latest GOP offer 'very fair and reasonable,' while Democratic aides indicated 'a ways to go' in securing reforms necessary for Democratic caucus support.

Staffing shortages intensify and lead to longer screening times as TSA workers go for weeks without payMany travelers across the US are continuing to face significant delays at airport security checkpoints as the homeland security department shutdown, which has affected staffing of the Transportation Security Administration, remains ongoing.With TSA workers going for weeks without pay, staffing shortages have intensified, leading to longer screening times and growing frustration among passengers. Continue reading...

Trump pick for homeland security secretary followed firing of Kristi Noem amid blowback for anti-immigration tacticsA Senate committee on Wednesday will consider Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which Democrats have forced into a partial shutdown until their demands for guardrails on immigration enforcement are met.Donald Trump nominated Mullin, a first-term Republican senator from Oklahoma, as DHS secretary earlier this month, after the president ousted secretary Kristi Noem amid public blowback against the administration’s aggressive approach to its mass deportation agenda, which resulted in the killings of two US citizens by immigration agents in Minneapolis. Continue reading...

• Congress reconvenes Monday amid multiple crises: ongoing DHS shutdown, Middle East war impacts, and an impending East Coast storm. • Republicans prioritize the SAVE Act vote while DHS funding debates, linked to H.R. 7147, raise immigration service risks. • The session's timing on the Ides of March underscores high-stakes challenges for lawmakers returning from recess.

• The House passed DHS funding bill H.R. 7147 earlier in 2026 to secure operations, but Senate disagreements over spending have delayed votes as of March 2026. • Delays threaten USCIS offices in Florida and nationwide, slowing visa applications, renewals, and Dreamer status adjustments. • Without approval, DHS faces potential shutdown, limiting immigration processing and creating uncertainty for immigrants.