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Senate Approves Funding for TSA, But Not Immigration Enforcement
Deal heads to House as TSA agents miss second paycheck, airports face closures
Mar. 27, 2026 at 9:19am
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The Senate has approved funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and most of the Department of Homeland Security, but not for immigration enforcement operations. The deal, which still needs to pass the House, comes as TSA agents miss their second full paycheck and airports face the possibility of temporary closures due to staffing shortages.
Why it matters
The funding impasse has disrupted travel and imposed financial hardship on TSA workers, raising concerns about airport security and the ability of the government to respond to emergencies. The dispute over immigration enforcement has also become a political flashpoint, with Democrats pushing for reforms and Republicans demanding full funding for agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The details
The Senate-approved deal would fund the TSA, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard, and other DHS agencies, but not ICE or Customs and Border Protection. The package does not include any new limits on immigration enforcement, which has continued largely uninterrupted despite the shutdown. Conservative Republicans have vowed to ensure ICE has the resources it needs, while Democrats have pushed for reforms like requiring federal agents to wear identification and refrain from conducting raids around sensitive locations.
- On Wednesday, President Trump floated the idea of possibly sending in the National Guard to some airports to deal with crowd control.
- On Tuesday, more than 3,120 TSA employees nationwide did not show up for work.
- At the beginning of the week, the Trump administration deployed ICE and other federal agents to some airports to try and remedy the staffing shortage.
The players
John Thune
Senate Majority Leader, R-S.D.
Chuck Schumer
Senate Democratic Leader
Mike Johnson
Speaker of the House, R-La.
Eric Schmitt
Senator, R-Mo.
Markwayne Mullin
New Homeland Security Secretary
What they’re saying
“We can get at least a lot of the government opened up again and then we'll go from there.”
— John Thune, Senate Majority Leader, R-S.D.
“The border is closing. The next task is deportation.”
— Eric Schmitt, Senator, R-Mo.
“We will fully fund ICE. That is what this fight is about.”
— Eric Schmitt, Senator, R-Mo.
What’s next
The deal approved by the Senate now heads to the House, where passage will likely require bipartisan support. Conservative Republicans have vowed to ensure ICE has the resources it needs, while Democrats continue to push for reforms to immigration enforcement.
The takeaway
The funding impasse over the Department of Homeland Security has disrupted air travel and imposed financial hardship on TSA workers, underscoring the political divide over immigration enforcement. The Senate's compromise deal represents a temporary solution, but the broader debate over the scope and oversight of immigration operations remains unresolved.
