President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on Democrats on Wednesday as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown entered its second month, even though Republicans control the three branches of government.
With airport delays mounting and negotiations stalled, Trump lashed out on his Truth Social platform to accuse Democrats of creating “chaos at the airports” and branded them “lunatics” for what he called their “radical left asks”.
The Democrats were “FULLY TO BLAME” for the standoff, he insisted, and warned they “must pay a big price” in the midterm elections.
The shutdown began in mid-February, after lawmakers failed to reach a deal on funding the DHS, which controls the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Now, after thousands of TSA employees missed their first full paycheck last week, officials are worried that the mounting chaos at airports could lead to airport closures.
In a 17 March letter to Congress, the White House outlined what it described as a compromise package – more body cameras for DHS agents, limits on certain immigration enforcement actions at sensitive locations, clearer officer identification, and expanded inspector‑general reviews.
But this proposal ignored the Democrats’ central demands, which center on how federal immigration enforcement operates, including requiring agents to obtain judicial warrants before entering private homes and banning masks that obscure agents’ identities.
Democrats say the administration is refusing to address the core issues that led to the shutdown, which began after two U.S. citizens – Renee Good, 37, and Alex Pretti, 37 – were killed during DHS’ Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats were “trying to move a little bit,” but argued the White House had not budged on the issues at the center of the debate.
This includes “the key issues of warrants when you bust in someone’s house, the key issue of identity of police, no masks, they haven’t budged on those, they’ve got to get serious," he said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has launched a new bid to circumvent Republican opposition, using a discharge petition – a legal tool that, if signed by a majority of the House (218 signatures), could fund parts of the DHS, including the TSA, but would exclude agreeing funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
This would allow the Democrats to help end the stalemate, while still potentially forcing action on ICE and immigration concerns.
"We've repeatedly won discharge petitions, and if it comes to it, we're going to win this one as well," Jeffries told reporters this week.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez said last month that the DHS shutdown reflected “the broad public anger at ICE’s attacks on our constitutional rights,” crediting activists for helping block the administration’s funding push.
Meanwhile, the shutdown’s effects are deepening.
Reuters reported that roughly 50,000 TSA officers have been working without pay for more than a month, 366 have quit, and absenteeism reached 10.2 per cent nationally on Monday, with some major airports reporting far higher rates. Delays and long security lines have become a daily feature at several hubs.
The White House has increasingly tried to turn the fallout into political leverage, even as its own nominee to replace outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem faces questions about the shutdown. Senator Markwayne Mullin, who will replace Noem as the department's leader, appeared before the Senate for confirmation hearings this week.
“My goal in six months is that we’re not in the lead story every single day," Mullin said on Wednesday. "My goal is for people to understand we’re out there, we’re protecting them, and we’re working with them. But we have to get DHS funded.”
Lawmakers from both parties pressed him on whether he supports additional guardrails on DHS operations. In response to questioning from Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic senator, Mullin rejected the alleged practice of ICE agents entering homes using just an administrative warrant approved by a supervisor, rather than a judge.
“We will not enter a home or place of business without a judicial warrant unless we’re pursuing the individual that runs into a place of business or a house,” Mullin said.
When Republican Senator Rick Scott pressed Mullin on how he would handle the “sanctuary cities” that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, Mullin struck a conciliatory tone, saying he believed local leaders weren’t necessarily acting out of hostility toward enforcement. “They still love their community, they still love their cities, they still love this country,” he said. “Maybe it’s a misunderstanding we can work by.”
The Independent has contacted the DHS for comment.
A man at the center of Michigan's 2022 election petition scandal gets 4 years in prison
Ukraine war latest: Kyiv advances inside ‘kill zone’ areas against Russian forces
Conservatives in the House hint they may oppose bipartisan affordable housing bill
Government shutdown could lead to airports being closed, TSA official warns
Democrats eyeing a wave and Republicans feeling blue over this recent voting trend
Even Joe Rogan is against Trump’s attacks on Iran: ‘It just seems so insane’
