President Donald Trump has signed bipartisan legislation to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ending the longest government agency shutdown in history. The bill, passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives in a voice vote on Thursday, covers agencies including the Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) but excludes key immigration enforcement arms such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The 75-day impasse had threatened airport chaos and exposed divisions within the Republican Party. The Senate had passed the package weeks ago, but it stalled in the House as conservative Republicans demanded a long-term plan to fund the White House's immigration crackdown. That broader strategy began to take shape on Wednesday when House Republicans approved a budget resolution to provide $70bn for immigration enforcement through a separate process, paving the way for the narrower DHS measure.
The White House had warned that emergency funds diverted to keep frontline staff paid were nearly exhausted, placing essential personnel and national security operations at risk. More than 1,000 TSA officers reportedly resigned since the shutdown began in February, and airline executives warned of staffing shortages disrupting travel if Congress failed to act.
Democrats expressed frustration that the legislation, introduced over two months ago, had been held hostage by Republican infighting. Rosa DeLauro, senior Democrat on the House appropriations committee, told the Associated Press: "It is about damn time." Democrats had refused to support fresh money for immigration enforcement without reforms to detention and deportation policies, particularly after public anger over the deaths of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
While the immediate crisis is averted, a deeper confrontation over Trump's hardline immigration programme and the billions needed to sustain it has been postponed until the summer. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina posted on X: "I'm very grateful that the House has passed the DHS funding bill... To finish the job, Senate and House Republicans must pass the reconciliation."
