Senate Passes Bill to Fund Most of DHS After House GOP Backs Down

The bipartisan deal excludes funding for ICE and Border Patrol, setting up a showdown over immigration enforcement.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 11:37am

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The Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan deal to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, ending a 48-day shutdown standoff. The bill excludes funding for ICE and the Border Patrol, which Republicans plan to address through a separate party-line budget reconciliation process.

Why it matters

The DHS funding impasse has disrupted critical security operations, and the partisan battle over immigration enforcement has become a major political flashpoint. This deal represents a temporary truce, but the underlying tensions over border policy remain unresolved.

The details

The Senate bill would fund the majority of DHS operations, but zero out funding for ICE and much of the Border Patrol, save for $11 billion in customs funding. Republicans plan to seek three years of full funding for ICE and the Border Patrol through a budget reconciliation process that would bypass Democratic opposition.

  • The Senate approved the bipartisan deal via voice vote on April 2, 2026.
  • The House is expected to vote on the legislation when lawmakers return to Washington on April 13, 2026.
  • President Trump has set a June 1, 2026 deadline for the GOP-led budget reconciliation bill to reach his desk.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president who has made border security a key priority and is pushing Congress to fully fund ICE and the Border Patrol.

John Thune

The Senate Majority Leader who helped steer the bipartisan DHS funding deal through the upper chamber.

Chuck Schumer

The Senate Minority Leader who has led Democratic opposition to funding for ICE and the Border Patrol.

Mike Johnson

The House Speaker who initially rejected the Senate's bipartisan DHS funding bill before appearing to relent after pressure from Trump.

Scott Perry

A Republican Congressman who has vowed to vote against the bipartisan DHS funding deal, calling it a "caving to Democrats" and "defunding law enforcement."

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What they’re saying

“We are going to work as fast, and as focused, as possible to replenish funding for our Border and ICE Agents, and the Radical Left Democrats won't be able to stop us.”

— Donald Trump

“Throughout this fight, Senate Democrats never wavered. We were clear from the start: fund critical security, protect Americans, and no blank check for reckless ICE and Border Patrol enforcement. We were united, held the line, and refused to let Republican chaos win.”

— Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader

“Let's make this simple: caving to Democrats and not paying CBP and ICE is agreeing to defund Law Enforcement and leaving our borders wide open again. If that's the vote, I'm a NO.”

— Scott Perry, Congressman

What’s next

The House is expected to vote on the Senate's bipartisan DHS funding bill when lawmakers return to Washington on April 13. If the House approves the measure, it will then go to President Trump's desk. Republicans also plan to pursue a separate budget reconciliation bill to fully fund ICE and the Border Patrol, which they hope to have on Trump's desk by June 1.

The takeaway

The bipartisan Senate deal represents a temporary truce in the long-running battle over immigration enforcement, but the underlying partisan divisions remain. Both parties are positioning themselves for a high-stakes showdown over border security and the future of ICE and the Border Patrol.