GOP Splits DHS Funding, Reopening Agency After 47-Day Shutdown

Republican leadership announces plan to fund most DHS operations while separating ICE and Border Patrol into a separate 3-year package.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 5:19pm

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A dynamic, abstract painting featuring overlapping, fragmented shapes in shades of gray and navy blue, conveying a sense of political tension and unrest surrounding government operations.The partisan gridlock over immigration policy continues to disrupt critical homeland security operations.Minneapolis Today

After a record-breaking 47-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, Republican leadership announced a two-track plan that will fund most of the agency while separating Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol into a separate three-year funding package. The deal comes after intense internal GOP divisions nearly derailed efforts to reopen critical security operations.

Why it matters

The shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security disrupted critical national security operations, while the partisan divisions within the Republican party threatened to prolong the impasse. The compromise deal aims to reopen DHS while addressing the contentious issue of immigration enforcement funding.

The details

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed that the House will vote on a Senate-passed measure funding most DHS operations through September, excluding ICE and Border Patrol. Those two agencies will be funded through a separate party-line reconciliation bill for three years, requiring no Democratic support. The approach comes after House Republicans rejected an identical proposal just days earlier, instead passing a doomed 60-day temporary funding measure.

  • The Department of Homeland Security was shut down for a record-breaking 47 days.
  • The House is expected to vote on the funding deal when lawmakers return from recess in two weeks.

The players

Mike Johnson

House Speaker and a key Republican leader in the negotiations.

John Thune

Senate Majority Leader and a senior Republican involved in the funding deal.

Donald Trump

The former president initially resisted the compromise, but later appeared to reverse course and support the party-line immigration enforcement funding bill.

Chuck Schumer

Senate Minority Leader and a Democratic leader who welcomed the agreement, though it did not include their demands for immigration enforcement reforms.

Scott Perry

A conservative House Freedom Caucus member who announced his opposition to the plan, calling it a cave to Democrats that defunds law enforcement.

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What they’re saying

“I want the party-line immigration enforcement funding bill on my desk by June 1.”

— Donald Trump

“This plan is a cave to Democrats that defunds law enforcement.”

— Scott Perry, Representative, House Freedom Caucus

“We welcome the agreement, though it does not include our demands for immigration enforcement reforms.”

— Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader

What’s next

The House is expected to vote on the funding deal when lawmakers return from recess in two weeks. The separate party-line reconciliation bill for ICE and Border Patrol funding is expected to be on President Trump's desk by June 1.

The takeaway

The compromise deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security highlights the ongoing partisan divisions within the Republican party, particularly around the issue of immigration enforcement. While the agreement aims to restore critical national security operations, it also underscores the challenges of finding bipartisan solutions on contentious policy issues.