Republican leaders in Congress announce plan to end Homeland Security
shutdown
[April 02, 2026]
By KEVIN FREKING and STEPHEN GROVES
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader
John Thune announced a plan Wednesday to fully fund the Department of
Homeland Security, moving past a split between the two Republican
leaders that resulted in Congress leaving Washington last week without a
fix to a record-setting partial government shutdown.
They said in a joint statement that “in the coming days” Republicans in
Congress will pursue a two-track approach. The first track returns to
the Senate plan to fund most of the department, with the exception of
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol. On the
second track, Republicans would try later to fund those agencies through
party-line spending legislation.
Neither outcome is guaranteed, and the strategy could potentially still
face opposition from the GOP’s own ranks even though President Donald
Trump has given his support.
“We appreciate and share the President’s determination to once and for
all bring an end to the Democrat DHS shutdown,” said Johnson, R-La., and
Thune, R-S.D.
The plan represents a do-over of what senators had in mind when they
passed a bipartisan funding agreement through unanimous consent last
Friday. The Senate could approve that same legislation again as soon as
Thursday morning, but even if that happens, it's unclear how quickly the
bill could move through the House. It will likely take several months
for Republicans to act on the second part of Trump's plan and pass
budgeting legislation to fund ICE and Border Patrol.
House Republicans refused to go along with the Senate last week, instead
changing the bill to fund all of DHS for 60 days.
As a result, the shutdown continued as lawmakers left for their home
states and congressional districts for a two-week recess. The DHS
shutdown reached its 47th day on Wednesday.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer credited Democratic unity for the
GOP's new strategy, saying, "for days, Republican divisions derailed a
bipartisan agreement, making American families pay the price for their
dysfunction."
The announcement from the GOP leaders showed that for now, Thune and
Johnson are on the same page. Their working relationship experienced a
rupture late last week when Johnson — at the urging of many House
Republicans — rejected Thune’s plan.
The top Republicans hope the path ahead will win over skeptical GOP
colleagues, but the most conservative lawmakers are likely to seek full
funding for all of Trump’s immigration and deportation operations.
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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news
conference on Capitol Hill, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
“Let’s make this simple: caving to Democrats and not paying CBP and
ICE is agreeing to defund Law Enforcement and leaving our borders
wide open again,” Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., posted on X. “If that’s
the vote, I’m a NO.”
It is uncertain whether Johnson could find enough support from the
House to recall lawmakers back to Washington before their spring
recess ends in mid-April.
Meanwhile, the narrow budget package being prepared for later this
year is expected to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the remainder
of Trump’s term, as a way to try to ensure those agencies are no
longer at risk from a funding lapse due to Democrats objecting to
the president’s immigration enforcement agenda.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump weighed in on the shutdown, using a social
media post to call on Republicans to fund the immigration portions
of DHS through a bill that would not require Democratic support. He
said he wanted the legislation on his desk by June 1.
“We are going to work as fast, and as focused, as possible to
replenish funding for our Border and ICE Agents, and the Radical
Left Democrats won’t be able to stop us,” Trump said.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries released a statement saying,
“It’s time to pay TSA agents, end the airport chaos and fully fund
every part of the Department of Homeland Security that does not
relate to Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine.”
The vast majority of Homeland Security workers continue to report to
work during the shutdown, but many thousands have been going without
pay. That led to more Transportation Security Administration agents
calling out from work, causing frustrating security lines at some of
the nation's biggest airports. Those bottlenecks appeared to be
clearing this week as agents began receiving backpay, per an
executive order from Trump.
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Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed
reporting.
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