The partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown entered its 35th day Monday, tying the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history as Congress remains gridlocked over immigration enforcement reforms despite a bipartisan Senate deal to reopen most of the agency.
The DHS funding lapse began December 22, 2024, matching the length of the 2018-2019 partial government shutdown that lasted 35 days. If the impasse continues, it will become the longest shutdown on record.
The House held a brief pro forma session today lasting just under three minutes, but did not take up the Senate-passed DHS funding bill, despite lawmakers announcing they had reached a framework to end the shutdown last week.
The Senate approved legislation early Friday morning to fund the Department of Homeland Security, but without full funding for immigration enforcement and deportation operations. Senators approved the package at 2:20 a.m. by voice vote following a marathon negotiating session.
The legislation would restore funding for the Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, but provides only limited funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection operations.
The impasse centers on Democratic demands for immigration enforcement reforms and oversight following several high-profile incidents involving CBP agents in recent months that have drawn scrutiny from civil rights groups and congressional Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer defended Democrats’ position in a statement Friday: “We’ve been clear from Day One: Democrats will fund critical Homeland Security functions — but we need accountability and oversight of immigration enforcement operations, not a blank check.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson faces internal Republican opposition to the Senate compromise. According to sources familiar with internal GOP discussions, conservative House Freedom Caucus members are demanding full DHS funding plus additional border security measures.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a prominent Freedom Caucus member, told reporters Monday that conservatives would only support legislation that fully funds immigration enforcement operations. “We’re not going to accept half-measures when it comes to border security,” Roy said. “The American people voted for strong immigration enforcement, and that’s what we intend to deliver.”
President Biden has worked to minimize the shutdown’s immediate impact by directing continued pay for essential DHS employees. Under existing authorities, TSA agents and other essential personnel have continued receiving paychecks despite the funding lapse.
However, the shutdown has still impacted air travel operations. According to TSA data, the agency has experienced higher-than-normal callout rates, with some airports reporting staffing shortages that have led to longer security lines during peak travel periods.
A TSA spokesperson said Monday that while the agency continues operating normally at most airports, some locations have experienced wait times of 30-45 minutes longer than typical during busy periods.
Republican leaders have proposed a two-track solution: passing the Senate bill to reopen DHS, then using the budget reconciliation process later this year to secure additional immigration enforcement funding without requiring Democratic votes.
“This approach ensures we can reopen the Department immediately while still addressing border security priorities through the reconciliation process,” Johnson said in a joint statement with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The reconciliation process would allow Republicans to pass additional immigration funding with a simple majority in both chambers, bypassing the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for most legislation.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., blamed Senate Democrats for prolonging the shutdown in a statement Monday. “Senate Democrats’ refusal to fully fund immigration enforcement has created this unnecessary crisis,” Cole said. “American families deserve better than these political games with national security.”
Democrats counter that they support robust homeland security funding but want proper oversight of immigration operations.
“We’re not blocking homeland security funding — we’re demanding accountability,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee. “The American people deserve immigration enforcement that follows the law and respects human rights.”
The White House has largely stayed out of the congressional negotiations, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters Friday that the administration supports the Senate compromise as “a reasonable path forward.”
The shutdown affects approximately 240,000 DHS employees, though most continue working as essential personnel. Non-essential functions including some training programs and administrative operations remain suspended.
Another pro forma session is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, though House leadership has not indicated plans to call members back early from the scheduled recess. Meaningful action appears unlikely until Congress returns the week of February 3.
The standoff highlights the ongoing political divisions over immigration policy that have persisted since the 2024 elections, with both parties using the funding fight to stake out positions ahead of the midterm election cycle.
Only a House vote can end the shutdown, leaving the timeline for resolution dependent on whether Speaker Johnson can broker a compromise acceptable to his caucus’s conservative wing.