House Speaker Slams Democrats' 'Crazy' Immigration Agenda

Johnson accuses Senate Democrats of holding border security funding hostage to push radical policies

Mar. 28, 2026 at 11:08am

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House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Senate Democrats for refusing to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security unless Republicans agree to new restrictions on federal immigration authorities. Johnson accused Democrats of trying to 'reopen the borders' and 'stop the deportation of dangerous criminal illegal aliens', calling their agenda 'crazy' and a 'radical, hostage-taking' move that risks not funding agencies that 'keep the American people safe'.

Why it matters

The standoff over DHS funding highlights the deep partisan divide on immigration policy, with Republicans pushing for stronger border security and enforcement, while Democrats seek to limit the power of immigration authorities. The political stalemate could lead to disruptions in airport security and other homeland security operations if a compromise is not reached.

The details

On Friday, the Senate advanced a bill to fund much of DHS, except for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol. Democrats refused to fully fund DHS unless Republicans agree to new restrictions on federal immigration authorities. Johnson said 'we're not going to risk not funding the agencies that keep the American people safe.' Meanwhile, House Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries called on Republicans to immediately bring the Senate's bipartisan DHS funding bill to the floor.

  • On Friday, the Senate advanced a bill to fund much of DHS, except for ICE and Border Patrol.
  • On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA agents despite Congress not appropriating the funds.

The players

Mike Johnson

The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Hakeem Jeffries

A Democratic member of the House of Representatives.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who signed an executive order to pay TSA agents.

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What they’re saying

“The Senate Democrats have foisted upon this appropriations process their radical, crazy agenda. We call it crazy because that's what it is. They want to reopen the borders, and they want to stop the deportation of dangerous criminal illegal aliens. We have to do these basic functions of government.”

— Mike Johnson, House Speaker

“The only thing standing between ending this chaos or not are House Republicans. There's a bipartisan bill that emerged from the Senate with uniform support, and it should be brought to the floor immediately so we can pay TSA agents, so we can end the chaos at airports across the country and stop inconveniencing millions of Americans.”

— Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Representative

What’s next

House Republicans are expected to continue pushing back against the Democrats' immigration demands in order to secure full DHS funding, potentially leading to a standoff that could disrupt airport security and other homeland security operations.

The takeaway

The partisan battle over immigration policy has reached a new flashpoint, with House Republicans accusing Democrats of holding border security funding hostage to advance their 'radical' agenda. The outcome of this funding fight could have significant implications for the security and operations of the Department of Homeland Security.