WASHINGTON — Lawmakers from both parties gathered privately Thursday with White House border czar Tom Homan, marking a modest step forward in efforts to resolve the Department of Homeland Security shutdown that has stretched beyond a month.
The department’s funding expired on February 14 after Democrats refused to approve money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection without operational reforms following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Alabama Republican Senator Katie Britt indicated the administration will make another proposal, after which Congress will reassess the situation. Senior appropriations committee members from both parties attended the session and acknowledged significant differences remain, though they expressed optimism about continued dialogue.
The discussions occur amid mounting difficulties at airports nationwide, where lengthy security checkpoint delays are becoming common as unpaid Transportation Security Administration workers increasingly call in sick. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned the situation will deteriorate without swift action.
“The AIRPORT LINES you’re seeing now are CHILD’S PLAY compared to what you will see next week if TSA misses another PAYCHECK!” Duffy posted on X.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota characterized Thursday’s session as meaningful progress.
“We’ve been encouraging this for a while, and glad to see both sides sit down,” Thune stated. “Having Homan up here being a part of that is, I think, a pretty big deal and a recognition that we need to get this resolved.”
With Congress scheduled for a two-week April recess, Thune cautioned that those plans could be canceled if negotiations don’t conclude by next week’s end.
“I can’t see us taking a break if the government is still shut down,” Thune remarked.
Washington Senator Patty Murray, the leading Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, had previously emphasized the need for direct White House participation in negotiations.
“I’m glad the White House is here, but we’re still a long ways apart,” Murray said leaving the meeting.
Maine Senator Susan Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee as a Republican, criticized expanding Democratic requirements.
“Unfortunately, the Democrats’ list of demands keeps growing and growing,” Collins noted. “But the group that was in there is operating in good faith, and I hope we’ll get together again very soon.”
Democratic lawmakers have outlined numerous policy modifications, including requiring judicial warrants before ICE agents can forcibly enter residences, mandating clear uniform identification without masks, implementing body camera requirements, establishing independent misconduct investigations, and banning enforcement activities at sensitive sites like schools, churches, and voting locations.
Most Homeland Security personnel are classified as essential and remain on duty during the shutdown, though more than 120,000 are working without compensation. This follows last fall’s 43-day shutdown that forced some federal employees to rely on food banks.
Democrats attempted Thursday to fund most Homeland Security agencies while excluding ICE and CBP, but Republicans rejected the partial approach.
Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz argued for funding TSA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Coast Guard separately since ICE negotiations remain stalled.
“All we are asking is release the hostages,” Schatz declared.
Oklahoma Senator James Lankford advocated for comprehensive ICE negotiations instead.
“We’re not going to just defund ICE and never turn it back on, so ICE agents quit because they’re not getting paid and it just drags on for a long time,” Lankford explained. “We need to actually resolve the differences.”
