The United States Senate approved a partial funding measure for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during a rare overnight session early Friday, ending weeks of gridlock but leaving immigration enforcement funding unresolved.
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The agreement allows funding to resume for several key DHS components, including the Transportation Security Administration and the US Coast Guard, but excludes agencies tied to immigration enforcement such as Customs and Border Protection. Senators reached the deal after negotiations stalled earlier in the week, choosing to move forward with areas of consensus.
The funding impasse had already begun to disrupt operations nationwide. Thousands of TSA agents and other DHS employees experienced delayed pay, contributing to travel disruptions, including delays and hundreds of flight cancellations across the United States.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the agreement would help restore some government functions while acknowledging that further work remains. “We can get at least a lot of the government opened up again, and then we’ll go from there,” he said, adding uncertainty about how the House would respond to the measure.
The bipartisan deal now moves to the United States House of Representatives, which is expected to review it on Friday ahead of a scheduled congressional recess.
Despite the partial funding, immigration enforcement has largely continued without interruption. A major tax and spending package signed last year by President Donald Trump allocated billions of dollars to DHS, including $75 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ensuring continued operations even during the funding lapse.
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Lawmakers are expected to resume negotiations on the remaining components of DHS funding, particularly immigration-related agencies, as political divisions over border policy persist.