Early Thursday morning, the Senate took its first concrete steps toward reopening the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has been shuttered since mid-February.
In a marathon voting session that stretched through the night, Republicans pivoted to a complex legislative tactic known as budget reconciliation to fund ICE and Border Patrol, bypassing the Democratic opposition that has stalled the department’s operations for weeks.
The shutdown began after Democrats demanded sweeping policy changes following the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents. While the Senate previously voted on a bipartisan basis to reopen other sections of the DHS, House Republican leaders have refused to move on that legislation until funding for immigration enforcement is secured.
By using the reconciliation process, Republicans can pass the measure with a simple majority, circumventing the 60-vote filibuster threshold. This is the same maneuver used to pass President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cuts last year.
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“We have a multistep process ahead of us, but at the end Republicans will have helped ensure that America’s borders are secure and prevented Democrats from defunding these important agencies,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).
The proposed $70 billion budget resolution would fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years, covering the remainder of Trump’s term. GOP leaders hope to keep the bill narrowly focused and get it to the President’s desk by the end of the month.
However, the overnight session was marked by a series of amendment votes where Democrats attempted to shift the focus toward domestic costs. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) argued against the prioritization of enforcement over consumer expenses.
“Instead of pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into ICE and Border Patrol, Republicans should be working with Democrats to lower out-of-pocket costs,” Schumer said.
The path forward remains complicated. Because reconciliation bills are subject to intense scrutiny from the Senate parliamentarian, the process involves an open-ended “vote-a-rama” on various amendments. Furthermore, some Republicans are pushing to add extra priorities to the bill, such as aid for farmers and the “SAVE America Act,” a proof-of-citizenship voting requirement.
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Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) briefly delayed the proceedings on Wednesday night, frustrated that the current plan omitted these broader GOP goals.
“This is the last train leaving the station,” Kennedy remarked, noting that major legislation becomes increasingly difficult to pass as the November midterm elections approach. Kennedy eventually withdrew his objections, allowing the initial framework to move to the House for approval.
Once the House signs off and the parliamentarian clears the language, both chambers can move toward a final vote to restore full DHS operations.
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