The US House of Representatives voted Thursday to end a 76-day partial government shutdown triggered by a dispute over immigration enforcement funding. The bill, already passed by the Senate, funds the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) but not its immigration enforcement subagencies, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Democrats refused to fund those agencies, demanding reforms after two fatal shootings by federal immigration officers in Minnesota. Republicans insisted on full funding, leading to a stalemate that halted operations for over two months.
The DHS has operated without regular funding since February 14, causing major disruptions and long airport lines. Thursday's vote ensures security checkpoint officers will receive their paychecks on time. Earlier, President Trump signed an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration agents, who are essential workers required to work without pay during a shutdown.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had resisted the Senate bill as inadequate, eventually relented. "We were not going to have lines at TSA. Everybody will get their paychecks now," Johnson said after the vote.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin celebrated on social media, stating, "To be clear, this Democrat shutdown NEVER should have happened." Democrats countered that Johnson extended the shutdown for over a month needlessly. Senator Patty Murray noted, "This is the same bill the Senate unanimously passed five weeks ago."
Additional funding for ICE and CBP will be considered in a separate bill now before the House. Republicans aim to approve up to $70 billion for the agencies through the remainder of Trump's term, while Democrats push for tighter oversight.
The shutdown intensified after a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where prosecutors allege a man attempted to assassinate Trump. The White House budget office warned that non-immigration security operations could run out of funds by May.