Trump Rejects DHS Funding Plan, Sends Senate Back to Drawing Board

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding standoff intensified when President Donald Trump rejected a bipartisan compromise proposal from Senate Republicans.

“President Donald Trump declared Sunday night that Republicans should refuse any deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security until Democrats agree to pass the SAVE America Act, a voter ID bill requiring proof of citizenship to register and photo identification to vote”

BET

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had proposed a plan that would fund most of DHS except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

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This compromise came amid severe disruptions at airports nationwide, where nearly 12 percent of TSA security workforce called out on Saturday alone.

Houston's two main airports experienced callout rates over 40 percent each, causing significant travel delays.

The shutdown was approaching its 60th day, threatening to become the longest in U.S. history if no deal was reached before the Senate's scheduled recess on March 30.

Trump vehemently rejected Thune's compromise proposal through a Truth Social post, insisting he would not make any deal unless Democrats backed his controversial voter identification bill.

The president characterized any compromise on ICE funding as a "$5 Billion cut" that he could only support if packaged with his voter ID requirements.

CNN

Trump expanded his demands to include abolishing mail-in voting, prohibiting transgender people in women's sports, and barring transgender surgeries for children.

He targeted his own party members, threatening to identify "those few 'Republicans' that are Voting against AMERICA" and declaring they "will never be elected again!"

The president's stance effectively killed the bipartisan compromise that Senate Republicans had hoped would end the nearly 40-day shutdown.

Despite Trump's initial rejection, Senate Republicans regrouped with a revised strategy believing the president was now on board with their approach.

“An attempt by Senate GOP leaders to reopen the Department of Homeland Security while punting on immigration enforcement funding blew up within hours, after President Donald Trump issued an angry rejection of the proposal Sunday night”

CQ Politics

The new plan involves first passing a bipartisan bill to fund most of DHS except for immigration enforcement operations, which Democrats could accept.

Following that, Republicans would use a reconciliation process to pass a partisan bill without Democratic votes to fund ICE and incorporate elements of Trump's voter ID legislation.

Senator Susan Collins expressed optimism about the direction, stating she was "optimistic we're on a good track."

Thune remained flexible on using reconciliation for ICE funding, telling reporters "If we have to go that route, that would be an option, so we don't take any options off the table."

Senator Ted Cruz had previously proposed splitting ICE funding from the rest of DHS to ease the airport crisis, though the strategy faces significant hurdles in the evenly divided Senate where Democrats have blocked the bill five times.

The ongoing DHS shutdown continued to have severe real-world consequences for travelers nationwide, with TSA delays persisting and Trump announcing the deployment of ICE agents to airports beginning Monday to help ease congestion.

The move raised concerns about training and potential confrontations, with a former ICE official telling Newsweek it was "reckless."

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Major airports reported extreme wait times, including a 153-minute wait time in Atlanta as early as 6 a.m. on Sunday.

Videos circulated on social media showing lengthy queues at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport.

Thune threatened to cancel the two-week Easter recess slated to begin Friday if no DHS deal was reached by then, adding pressure on lawmakers to find a resolution quickly.

The economic and logistical impact of the shutdown extended beyond airports, affecting federal workers who remained without pay and disrupting essential government services.

Democrats expressed cautious optimism about the Republican compromise approach, with key Democrats indicating they were pleased with the direction despite not yet knowing all the details.

“ET: This article was updated with additional information”

Newsweek

Senator Chris Murphy, a senior Democrat, believed funding DHS without ICE enforcement money would be the "easiest way" forward, stating "Let's keep working on ICE [reforms] and let's open everything else up."

Newsweek

He noted that "as I leave tonight, that still seems like the most likely path this week."

However, Democrats remained firm on their demands for ICE reform, with Senator Dick Durbin writing on X that "All Democrats are asking is for ICE and CBP to play by the same rules that your local police officer does."

Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania remained the only Democrat willing to vote with Republicans on DHS funding, highlighting the party's unified opposition to the current approach.

White House and congressional communications continued to be tense, with the White House initially turning down a Monday morning meeting request from Democrats after Democrats had previously turned down a Saturday meeting request.