Longest U.S. shutdown ends as House passes DHS funding package

In a much-needed relief for thousands of federal workers who have been working without pay for over two months, the House of Representatives approved a long-delayed funding package for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday, ending the 75-day partial government shutdown. However, the funding bill keeps Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) out of its purview.

The House passed the bill by voice vote after weeks of political gridlock that started on February 14, hours before a crucial deadline; earlier, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin had warned that emergency funding to maintain payments for DHS workers would run out by May. The bill had already passed the Senate, but stalled in the House with GOP lawmakers opposing. The legislation, Representative Keith Self (R-TX) had said, gave "Democrats everything they wanted and more."

As per a report by The Independent, Republicans decided to change strategy after President Trump urged lawmakers to "get the deal done." The recent attack at the Washington Hilton, where the President and his staff were attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, may also have played a part in expediting the bill's passage, The Washington Post reported. The Secret Service, responsible for the President's security, was among federal workers working without pay.  

The partial government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, began on February 14 over disagreements on ICE and CBP's crackdown on immigration. Criticisms of the DHS escalated in January following the deaths of two American citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti. Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer on January 7; Pretti was shot dead by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seventeen days later, on January 24.

ICE & CBP to be funded through reconciliation

While the two immigration agencies were not part of the DHS funding package, Republicans plan to fund ICE and CBP through a reconciliation bill. "After 76 days, the longest government shutdown in history is over," Secretary Mullin said in a post on X, adding that the two immigration agencies "will be funded through reconciliation (with NO Democrat votes) so liberals can't play games with federal law enforcement funding."

House Speaker Mike Johnson also saw this as a win for Republicans and slammed Democrats for their "political charades and shenanigans." He informed that through the reconciliation bill, ICE and CBP will be funded for three years. "Democrats got absolutely nothing for their political charades and shenanigans," Johnson said. "The sad and shocking truth is there's not a Democrat in the House or the Senate that believes border security and immigration enforcement should exist at all," he added.

Democrats blame Republicans for prolonged standoff

Democrats, meanwhile, have blamed GOP lawmakers for extending the DHS standoff. Democratic Whip Katherine Clark said, "For months, the GOP refused because they insisted on handing billions more to ICE and Border Patrol," adding, "Democrats will never vote for terror in our communities."

Patty Murray, the top Senate Democrat overseeing government funding, blamed Speaker Johnson for extending the shutdown. "Speaker of the House Mike Johnson extended the DHS shutdown for over a month for no reason at all. This is the same bill the Senate unanimously passed five weeks ago," Murray said. She welcomed the bill's passage, stating, "After Republicans spent months blocking disaster relief and funding for the TSA, Coast Guard, and our cyber defense agency, it is a very good thing that this bill is finally on track to be signed into law to fund these agencies."