House votes to end 75-day DHS shutdown, advances Homeland Security funding bill to Trump

WASHINGTON, DC: The House on Thursday, April 30, approved legislation to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ending what became the longest partial shutdown of the agency in US history.

The vote sends the Senate-passed bill to President Donald Trump, who has indicated he will sign it into law. The funding lapse, which began on February 14, stretched for 75 days and affected several major federal agencies under DHS.

The bill was approved by voice vote, allowing lawmakers to clear the measure ahead of a critical payroll deadline and before Congress departed for a weeklong recess.

While the legislation restores funding for most DHS operations through September 30, it does not include new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Border Patrol, which will be addressed separately.

House moves to reopen DHS after weeks of deadlock

The legislation will restore funding for agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Secret Service.

Those agencies had been operating under strained conditions during the shutdown, with concerns mounting over operational disruptions and employee pay.

The shutdown began after Democrats withheld support over disagreements tied to immigration enforcement practices, pressing for reforms including limits on enforcement actions in sensitive locations such as schools and hospitals, as well as expanded use of body cameras. Republicans rejected those conditions, leading to the prolonged impasse.

The Senate unanimously passed the funding legislation in late March, but House Republicans initially resisted, arguing the bill excluded critical immigration enforcement priorities.

House Speaker Mike Johnson later agreed to move forward with the Senate measure after Republicans advanced a separate budget resolution this week aimed at securing future funding for ICE and Border Patrol.

“I think having passed our budget resolution yesterday was a very important step, and we have to absolutely make sure those two critical agencies of immigration enforcement and border are fully funded, and Republicans have to do that on our own,” Johnson said.

He added, “I’m aware of the deadlines. I’ve been trying to press this as aggressively as anybody. ... We’ll get the job done.”

ICE, Border Patrol funding shifts to separate reconciliation process

While the broader DHS shutdown is ending, Republicans are now moving to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the budget reconciliation process, allowing them to bypass the Senate filibuster and pass the measure with a simple majority.

The House on Wednesday adopted a Senate-backed budget blueprint that directs congressional committees to draft legislation authorizing approximately $70 billion for ICE and Border Patrol over the next three years.

That funding package is expected to become a major legislative priority for Republicans, who argue the agencies are central to President Trump’s immigration agenda.

Democrats have maintained opposition to additional funding for the two agencies without policy changes, creating the need for a separate legislative track.

The vote came just before Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s deadline, warning that emergency payroll funds would run out if Congress did not act by Thursday. The administration had redirected internal DHS funds in March to keep workers paid temporarily.