The Senate did not proceed with a year-round spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday afternoon. This was mainly due to Democrats pledging to delay a vote until their substantial demands for changes in immigration enforcement were addressed.
Lawmakers voted 53-46 to advance the homeland security bill passed by the House, but they didn’t reach the necessary majority to overcome a filibuster. Without a last-minute deal, DHS, which employs over 260,000 people, is set to shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
Interestingly, Pennsylvania’s Senator John Fetterman was the only Democrat to back the funding bill, going against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Meanwhile, former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had just been released from the hospital due to flu-like symptoms, did not cast a vote.
For weeks now, Democrats have been insisting that they won’t fully fund DHS unless the Trump administration provides considerable concessions regarding federal immigration enforcement. On February 4, Democratic leaders issued a list of ten demands; however, Republicans largely dismissed it. Among those demands is a stipulation requiring judicial warrants before detaining undocumented immigrants on private property, as well as restrictions on police officers wearing masks and pausing patrols.
Republicans countered that several of these proposals, including the tougher warrant requirements, would significantly hinder Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from executing its duties.
Democrats tried to rationalize their “no” vote by highlighting the lack of progress in talks with Republicans. On the flip side, Republican senators mentioned that the Trump administration had demonstrated goodwill toward reaching a deal despite the Democrats delaying negotiations.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune remarked that comments from Border Czar Tom Homan were beneficial to finding a resolution, noting that the White House had already shared a draft of the bill with Democrats, although specifics weren’t disclosed.
On Thursday, Homan announced reductions in federal immigration officials’ operations in Minneapolis and attributed the recent end of the crackdown, dubbed Operation Metro Surge, to robust coordination with state and local officials.
Nevertheless, Democrats maintained that even with the end of intensified federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, it wouldn’t fulfill their conditions for funding ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, expressed cautious optimism about the ongoing negotiations but stated, “As long as they continue what they’re doing, not just in Minneapolis but nationwide, I’m not supporting funding.”
It’s worth noting that Democrats have mostly overlooked the reality that ICE and CBP are likely to continue regular operations, having received funding through the normal appropriations process back in July 2025. The Republicans’ proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocates $75 billion for ICE and $65 billion for CBP over several years.
The potential blockage of DHS funding could have serious implications for crucial national security and disaster relief agencies, possibly leading to unfavorable political consequences for Democrats. DHS oversees vital bodies like the U.S. Coast Guard, Secret Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Schumer had previously cautioned about the extensive ramifications of losing DHS funding, mentioning that a shutdown could result in significant chaos for the TSA, leading to potential delays in all flights. He warned that border enforcement would weaken and even FEMA’s disaster relief funds could face depletion, stating, “We don’t need to go through this.”
DHS employees deemed essential would still be expected to work during a shutdown, although they wouldn’t receive pay until the agency’s funding is restored. Interestingly, lawmakers would continue to be compensated even in the event of a shutdown.
It’s noteworthy that DHS is the only agency not set to receive funding through September, meaning the partial shutdown would affect only the entities under its jurisdiction. Concerns have been raised this week about how a funding loss would adversely affect operations.
Matthew Quinn, deputy director of the U.S. Secret Intelligence Service, indicated on Wednesday that “ripple effects” would be felt, including delays in contracts, job losses, and challenges in training and deploying talent. “Our difficult mission becomes even more daunting during a government shutdown,” he said.
Republicans expressed doubts on Thursday about Democrats agreeing to short-term DHS funding to prevent a partial shutdown. Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott remarked, “Chuck Schumer has opted to shut down the government yet again,” adding that both TSA and FEMA employees wouldn’t receive pay.
Currently, DHS is functioning under a two-week continuing resolution (CR), which is set to expire at midnight Friday. Democrats are specifically pushing for a short-term funding solution to keep negotiations ongoing with the White House.
In the absence of a funding agreement, Thune is advocating for another temporary funding measure to avert a shutdown. “At a minimum, we should have a CR that allows this process and negotiations to keep going,” he commented on Thursday.
