DHS shutdown looms as deadline to fund the agency races towards midnight

WASHINGTON (TNND) — The Department of Homeland Security is set to run out of funding as of midnight on Friday.

On Thursday, Senate Democrats blocked a bill to fund the agency due to demands related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The demands come after the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration officers in Minnesota, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

After the vote, senators left town for a preplanned week-long recess.

All but one, Sen. John Fetterman, R-Penn., joined Republicans in voting for the bill.

“As a Democrat, I can’t vote to shut down critical parts of our government,” Fetterman said in a video message on X.

The following agencies fall under DHS:

• US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
• US Coast Guard (USCG)
• US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• Transportation Security Agency (TSA)
• US Secret Service (USSS)

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection will be able to continue operations without much disruption. Both agencies received funding from President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” last year.

However, Democrats had numerous asks to get the agency funded:

• Stopping “roving” patrols
• Independent oversight of ICE
• Ending the deportation of US citizens
• Banning ICE agents from wearing masks

As Democrats negotiate a new counterproposal, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that they have not called for a direct meeting.

“We haven’t called for a direct meeting at this point,” Jeffries said. “It’s my expectation that at some point, Democrats in the House and the Senate jointly will respond to the latest unserious offer, formally, and then it will once again be in the hands of Donald Trump and Republicans to decide what’s next.”

During a press conference in California on Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she was concerned about TSA workers not receiving pay if DHS were to shut down.

“We’re concerned about the Department of Homeland Security not being funded, in fact, I think it’s the wrong message to send to the world at this time,” Noem told reporters.

“This is a dangerous situation that we’re in. That the Democrat party has chosen to shut down the department that was created after 9/11. This department was created recognizing that we’re vulnerable to terrorist attacks and that American homeland needs to be funded and focused on keeping us safe within our own borders,” Noem added.