A potential breakthrough in the Senate's Homeland Security funding fight emerged late Monday, after a group of Republican senators went to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump. Senators are considering a deal that would end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown while withholding money for a key part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The proposal under discussion in the Senate would keep money flowing to agencies, including Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration, but not to ICE. The negotiations come as the department's partial shutdown continues to strain airport operations nationwide. Reuters reported Tuesday that more than 450 TSA officers have quit since the funding standoff began on Feb. 14, while about 50,000 TSA officers are working without pay and are set to miss a second full paycheck.
The standoff has hardened around immigration enforcement. Democrats have blocked DHS funding while pressing for changes to ICE practices, including a requirement that immigration agents obtain judicial warrants before entering private property. According to the Associated Press, Republican Senators met with Trump at the White House late Monday. Senate Majority Leader John Thune called the meetings "positive and productive" and said most of DHS would be funded without big changes.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said that now that Trump's "temper tantrum" has ended, "things are getting back on track." However, he told CNN that "We're looking at their proposal and we will have a counteroffer." An anonymous White House official told CNN that "Conversations are ongoing, but this deal seems to be acceptable."
The debate has also intensified after public outrage over fatal shootings involving federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, where two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed. Democrats' push to change DHS funding rules followed those deaths, which became a flashpoint in the fight over how aggressively immigration agents should operate.
The controversy also helped shape the political backdrop for the Senate's confirmation of Markwayne Mullin as Homeland Security secretary, replacing Kristi Noem. Mullin was confirmed by a 54 to 45 vote and has signaled he may scale back some of the most aggressive immigration tactics, including warrantless entries into homes or businesses.
Trump has tried to widen the fight by urging Republicans to link DHS funding to the SAVE Act, a voter identification and proof-of-citizenship measure that Democrats oppose. But Thune dismissed combining the two as unrealistic, noting the bill lacks the 60 votes needed to clear the Senate.
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