President Donald Trump has signed bipartisan legislation to fund much of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ending a 75-day shutdown that threatened airport chaos and exposed Republican divisions. The House approved the measure in a voice vote, funding agencies including the Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), but excluding immigration enforcement arms such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The impasse, the longest government agency shutdown in history, had left DHS without full funding since February. The White House warned that emergency funds were nearly exhausted, placing essential personnel at risk. Over 1,000 TSA officers reportedly resigned during the shutdown, raising concerns about staffing shortages at airports.
House Speaker Mike Johnson faced mounting pressure as his narrow majority struggled to break the deadlock. Conservative Republicans had demanded that any funding deal be tied to long-term support for Trump's immigration crackdown. A separate budget resolution passed on Wednesday provides $70bn for immigration enforcement through a process that bypasses Democrats.
Democrats criticised the delay, with Rosa DeLauro calling it 'about damn time' that the bill passed. They refused to support funding for ICE and CBP without reforms, citing abuses and the deaths of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Republicans accused Democrats of playing politics with national security.
While the immediate crisis is resolved, a deeper confrontation over Trump's immigration agenda is postponed until summer. Senator Lindsey Graham urged Republicans to pass reconciliation to 'finish the job'.
