Democrats have once again refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been subjected to a lengthy 39 day shut down due to their unwillingness to come to the bargaining table.
Thune on DHS funding: Democrats have in front of them a proposal with legislative text that would allow us to get, DHS back and opened up again. And it is essentially what the Democrats have been asking for. And so, we're going to have an opportunity to, to vote on that. And I…
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) March 24, 2026
The latest proposal from Senate Republicans to the Democrats would only amount to a partial funding of ICE, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune claiming that the deal is “essentially what the Democrats have been asking for.” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has rejected it, claiming that they will submit a counter off that would “reign in ICE,” according to The Hill.
Schumer said that the newest proposal from Republicans had no reforms for immigration enforcement. Democrats have consistently made it clear that they will only accept a deal that prevents ICE from operating in "sensitive locations,” which most notably include polling places, to essentially create a safe space for illegal immigrants at election sites.
FACT CHECK: Republicans PASSED a bill TWICE to pay TSA agents and fund DHS. Nearly every Democrat voted against it both times.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) March 19, 2026
The truth is Democrats want us to REOPEN our border in exchange for funding Homeland Security, and it’s NOT going to happen! https://t.co/2LG1pDiCLI
This move by Senate Democrats is entirely performative, as ICE has already been funded through the entirety of the Trump administration. Their insistence to hold the department hostage has led to unprecedented wait times at airports, and the families of government employees going without pay throughout this shutdown
Y'all... I've NEVER seen Hartsfield Jackson this bad. This is what security looks like this morning (Friday). We've talked to people that got to the airport at 3am that missed their 6am flight. @ATLNewsFirst @GAFollowers pic.twitter.com/xsF5h1N1XG
— Ella Dorsey (@Ella__Dorsey) March 20, 2026
We’ve all seen the chaos unleashed by Democrats at airports across the country. It’s preposterous that Chuck Schumer continues to hold TSA funding hostage.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 22, 2026
Thankfully, ICE will bring sanity to our airports starting tomorrow, but it’s far past time for Democrats to fund DHS. pic.twitter.com/AYEqWoiBeK