Senate Passes Bill to Fund DHS Except ICE and Parts of CBP

Agencies like TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard, and CISA will receive funding, but reforms to ICE and CBP remain elusive.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 5:11pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The U.S. Senate has approved a funding package for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The bill will now head to the House and, if passed, to President Trump's desk for signature. Democrats held firm on their objection to funding ICE and CBP without reforms, while Republicans criticized them for 'politics over policy'.

Why it matters

The partial DHS funding bill represents a compromise, with Democrats blocking additional funding for ICE and CBP in an effort to push for reforms, while Republicans argue that Democrats are more interested in political posturing than solving problems. The outcome highlights the ongoing partisan divide over immigration enforcement and border security.

The details

The Senate-approved package funds agencies like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). However, it does not include funding for ICE and parts of CBP, though those agencies will continue to receive funds due to existing appropriations. The bill also lacks any of the reforms to ICE's operating procedures that Democrats have been demanding.

  • The Senate approved the funding package via voice vote early Friday morning.
  • The bill will now head to the House for approval before going to President Trump for signature.

The players

Bernie Moreno

The senator who presided over the Senate chamber and called the vote on the funding package.

Chuck Schumer

The Senate Minority Leader, who said Democrats 'held the line' on their objection to funding ICE and CBP without reforms.

John Thune

The Senate Majority Leader, who criticized Democrats for not negotiating in good faith and prioritizing 'politics over policy'.

Eric Schmitt

A Republican senator who vowed to work on a package later this year to 'supercharge deportations' by approving even more funding for ICE and CBP.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Democrats held firm in our position that Donald Trump's rogue and deadly militia should not get more funding without serious reforms and we will continue to fight for those reforms.”

— Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader

“We could be standing here right now passing a funding bill with a list of reforms if the Democrats had made the smallest effort to actually reach an agreement. But they didn't, because it's now clear to everyone, Democrats didn't actually want a solution, they wanted an issue, politics over policy, self-interest over reform, pandering to their base over actually solving a problem.”

— John Thune, Senate Majority Leader

“We're going to continue to fight hard for reforms, there'll be opportunities.”

— Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader

What’s next

Republicans are vowing to work on a package later this year to approve even more funding for ICE and CBP, saying they aim to do it using reconciliation, which would allow them to sidestep Democratic objection and pass the bill without any Democratic support.

The takeaway

The partial DHS funding bill highlights the ongoing partisan divide over immigration enforcement and border security, with Democrats pushing for reforms to ICE and CBP and Republicans accusing them of prioritizing politics over policy. The outcome sets the stage for further battles over the future of these agencies and immigration policy.