Record-long Department of Homeland Security shutdown ends – NBC News

Lead

The House approved a Senate-passed bill on Thursday and President Donald Trump signed it the same afternoon, ending a record 75-day partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The measure funds major DHS components — including FEMA, the Coast Guard, TSA and the Secret Service — through the end of September. The package does not include new appropriations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Border Patrol, which remain the focus of a separate Republican strategy. Lawmakers also agreed to a short-term extension of FISA Section 702 authorization to avoid a lapse in a key intelligence program.

Key Takeaways

• The shutdown lasted 75 days and ended when the House approved a Senate-passed funding bill on Thursday, signed by President Trump that afternoon.
• The bill funds FEMA, the Coast Guard, TSA and the Secret Service through Sept. 30, 2026, according to the enacted measure’s end-of-September timetable.
• No new funding was approved for ICE or Border Patrol in this bill; Republicans plan a separate path to finance those agencies for the rest of the administration.
• Congress also passed a 45-day extension for FISA Section 702 to prevent expiration of an intelligence authority ahead of a weeklong recess.
• Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned lawmakers that emergency funds would run out by Thursday and thousands of workers would be unpaid if no action was taken.
• The House approved the DHS funding “by voice,” meaning no individual roll-call votes were recorded on the floor action.
• The House passed a budget resolution the day before that instructs committees to draft legislation to fund ICE and Border Patrol and authorizes roughly $70 billion for those agencies over about three years.

Background

The impasse began on Feb. 14, when Democrats forced a partial DHS shutdown after Republicans declined demands for changes to immigration enforcement practices. Democrats sought measures such as mandatory body cameras for immigration agents and limits on enforcement actions in sensitive locations like schools and hospitals. Republicans resisted those policy conditions and the two sides reached an extended stalemate that left many programs operating under limited authority.

In late March the Senate unanimously approved legislation to fund most DHS agencies while excluding ICE and Border Patrol, but the House initially rejected that plan. Over the subsequent weeks, Republicans pursued a parallel approach: keep core homeland entities funded now and pursue a separate, longer-term funding route for immigration enforcement. That strategy culminated in a budget resolution passed by the House on Wednesday to clear a path for funding ICE and Border Patrol through reconciliation.

The shutdown affected large swaths of DHS operations and created staffing and pay uncertainty for thousands of employees. Several DHS components continued to operate under emergency or contingency funding arrangements, but leaders repeatedly warned that those mechanisms were time-limited and that an explicit appropriation was necessary to restore regular payroll and operations.

Main Event

On Thursday the House took up and approved a Senate-passed bill to fund most DHS functions; the chamber adopted the measure by voice vote, with members vocally signaling approval rather than recording individual votes. President Donald Trump, who had urged lawmakers to act, signed the measure into law that afternoon, formally restoring appropriations for multiple agencies through the end of September.

The enacted bill explicitly covers the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration and the Secret Service. Those agencies will now receive funding on the regular appropriations timetable until the new fiscal-year cutoff at the end of September. House leaders emphasized that restoring these appropriations would prevent payroll interruptions and service disruptions, particularly at airports and critical response units.

By contrast, ICE and Border Patrol were left out of the current measure. Both agencies had been maintained through alternative funding during the shutdown, but Republicans signaled their intent to secure long-term funding independent of Democratic agreement. The House budget resolution passed Wednesday authorizes around $70 billion to fund ICE and Border Patrol for roughly the next three years and uses the reconciliation process so the GOP could pass the needed laws without Democratic votes if party unity holds.

Separately, Congress moved quickly to extend FISA Section 702 authorization by 45 days to avoid an immediate lapse. Members from both parties warned that allowing the surveillance authority to expire would harm national security, and leaders agreed to the short-term extension before adjourning for a weeklong recess.

Analysis & Implications

Ending the 75-day partial shutdown restores steady funding and payroll certainty for many DHS components, which should stabilize operations at airports, ports and emergency-response agencies. For TSA and the Secret Service, regular appropriations reduce the risk of staffing shortages that could create service delays or degrade protective missions. FEMA’s restored funding is particularly important as the agency manages disaster preparedness and response planning going into the fall season.

Politically, the split decision to fund most DHS agencies while excluding ICE and Border Patrol reflects a deliberate two-track strategy: immediate stabilization for broadly supported functions, and a parallel effort to secure long-term funds for contentious immigration enforcement programs. Using a budget resolution and reconciliation to authorize roughly $70 billion signals Republicans are prepared to pursue funding without Democratic votes, which raises the likelihood of substantial policy fights or unilateral GOP action in the months ahead.

For Democrats, the outcome is a mixed result: a practical end to the protracted shutdown and restored pay for many workers, but no immediate concessions on immigration reforms they had tied to funding. That dynamic may shift legislative leverage toward the majority party on Capitol Hill in the near term, while leaving immigration policy unresolved. If Republicans succeed in using reconciliation, many of the enforcement priorities could be funded absent bipartisan compromise.

Internationally and for national security, the quick extension of FISA Section 702 reduces near-term risk to intelligence collection and counterterrorism operations. However, the brief 45-day window merely postpones a larger debate over the scope and oversight of the surveillance authority, meaning lawmakers will confront a fresh deadline for a fuller reform or reauthorization later this year.

Comparison & Data

The table summarizes which DHS components received appropriations in the enacted measure. Funding through end of September aligns those agencies with the fiscal year appropriations timetable while ICE and Border Patrol remain on a different track tied to a separate $70 billion authorization in the House’s budget plan.

Reactions & Quotes

“We got the budget resolution passed. This is very, very important, because that will ensure that border security and immigration enforcement will continue today and well into the future.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)

“We’re not going to have lines at TSA. Everybody will get their paychecks now.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)

“It would be devastating for national security”

Bipartisan members of Congress on FISA Section 702

Each quoted remark was given in the immediate aftermath of the House vote and reflects the priorities guiding Republican leaders and bipartisan security concerns. Speaker Johnson emphasized the political and operational rationale for separating core DHS funding from contentious immigration enforcement funding, while members across the aisle highlighted the urgency of preserving intelligence authorities.

Unconfirmed

• Whether the $70 billion authorization will remain intact through the reconciliation process and pass both chambers without substantive policy changes remains uncertain.
• Precise schedule and text of the forthcoming legislation to fund ICE and Border Patrol under the reconciliation instructions have not been released and are not yet confirmed.

Bottom Line

The House-Senate agreement and the president’s signature ended a record 75-day partial DHS shutdown and restored funding for major homeland agencies through the end of September. Operational stability and payroll certainty will return to agencies like TSA, FEMA and the Secret Service, reducing near-term disruption for travelers and emergency-response capacity.

At the same time, ICE and Border Patrol remain unresolved and the House’s move to use reconciliation and a $70 billion authorization raises the prospect of unilateral Republican action on immigration enforcement funding. The outcome sets up a consequential policy battle over immigration and surveillance authorities later this year, even as immediate risks to national security and frontline operations have been reduced.

Sources

• NBC News — national news reporting and original article (news)