WASHINGTON, May 1 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- The United States (US) House of Representatives on Thursday approved a Senate-passed funding bill that would finance much of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in an effort to end the agency’s record 75-day shutdown, reported Xinhua.
The bill will reopen the DHS without allocating new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the US Border Patrol, as Democrats have been calling for major reforms to immigration enforcement following two fatal shootings of US citizens by federal immigration agents in January.
The timing of the bill’s passage is critical, as DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin recently warned that the department will run out of money to pay employee salaries in the first week of May.
Once President Donald Trump signs the funding bill, DHS agencies–including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Secret Service–would be funded through the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.
After that, Republicans are expected to attempt separate funding for ICE or the Border Patrol without Democratic support.
Democrats have called for reforms to ICE operations following the fatal shootings of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis in January, while Republicans have rejected those demands.
The disagreement has led to a deadlock in negotiations.
Against that backdrop, DHS funding expired on Feb. 13.
Democrats' demands include mandating body cameras and limiting raids in sensitive locations.
In late March, the Senate approved legislation to fund most DHS agencies, excluding ICE and the Border Patrol. But House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected the plan at that time.
Trump then signalled his support for a two-track strategy favoured by Senate Majority Leader John Thune –funding most of DHS through a bipartisan deal with Democrats and then using the reconciliation process to secure funding for ICE and the Border Patrol – and urged Congress to act swiftly to approve DHS funding.
-- BERNAMA-XINHUA
