Trump Rejects Senate DHS Deal, Demands Full Funding For ICE And Border Patrol
President Donald Trump has formally opposed the bipartisan Senate deal aimed at reopening the Department of Homeland Security, signaling that the legislation is effectively dead on arrival without major changes.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump dismissed the proposal as inadequate, pointing directly to its failure to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. He argued that any DHS funding bill must include full support for law enforcement agencies tied to immigration.
“You can’t have a bill that’s not going to fund any form of law enforcement,” Trump said, framing the issue as central to border security and accusing Democrats of pushing policies that weaken enforcement.
The president’s stance aligns with House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, who have already rejected the Senate measure. Johnson and other GOP lawmakers criticized the deal for excluding key immigration components and for being rushed through before senators left for a two-week recess.
Instead, House leadership is preparing a short-term continuing resolution that would fund all DHS operations through May 22. The goal is to temporarily stabilize the agency while negotiations continue on a broader, long-term funding agreement.
Johnson emphasized the urgency of restoring pay for affected workers, particularly TSA officers who have gone weeks without pay during the shutdown. The funding lapse has hit agencies like TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard especially hard, even as immigration enforcement was funded earlier through separate legislation.
Trump has already taken action on one front, signing an order to ensure TSA agents receive pay as airport disruptions worsen nationwide. Long security lines, staffing shortages, and rising absenteeism have turned travel into a growing pressure point in the standoff.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are standing by their version of the bill. Chuck Schumer has labeled the House GOP’s alternative approach “dead on arrival,” making clear that negotiations remain far from resolved.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats will support the Senate deal, accusing Republicans of contributing to chaos, particularly at airports affected by the shutdown.
The procedural path forward remains complicated. If the House passes a revised bill, it would need to return to the Senate for approval before reaching Trump’s desk, raising the likelihood of further delays.
At the center of the fight is a fundamental divide: Republicans are insisting on full immigration enforcement funding as part of any deal, while Democrats continue to push for reforms before agreeing to additional resources.
With both sides dug in and the Senate out of session, the DHS shutdown shows no immediate signs of ending, leaving federal workers unpaid and key operations under strain.