House Republicans Stall DHS Deal as Shutdown Nears 7 Weeks
The partial U.S. government shutdown is continuing after House Republicans declined to act on a Senate-passed funding deal, leaving key homeland security operations in limbo.
The standoff centers on immigration enforcement, where both parties remain divided on how agencies should be funded and regulated.
According to Reuters and The Guardian, the Senate approved a compromise bill that would fund most of the Department of Homeland Security while excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection.
But the House has not brought that bill to a vote, despite signals from Speaker Mike Johnson that Republican leadership may support it.
Instead, House Republicans previously advanced a short-term funding measure covering the entire agency, which Senate Democrats rejected, deepening the impasse.
“This has become a high-stakes standoff over immigration policy and federal funding,” one congressional aide told Reuters.
The shutdown, which began in mid-February, has already disrupted airport security operations and left Transportation Security Administration workers and other federal employees without pay, according to multiple reports.
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The broader conflict stems from Democratic demands for limits on immigration enforcement, while Republicans insist on maintaining or expanding funding for ICE and border operations.
A new complication has emerged as Donald Trump and GOP leaders back a separate plan to fund immigration agencies through budget reconciliation, a move that could bypass Senate opposition but trigger further political conflict.
Even with leadership alignment appearing closer, it remains unclear whether House Republicans have the votes needed to pass the Senate-backed measure.
Lawmakers are expected to revisit the issue when the House reconvenes, with pressure mounting as the shutdown stretches toward two months.
For now, the path to reopening the government remains uncertain.
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