As the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues, top Republican leaders announced a potential path to reopening the agency, signaling a dramatic reversal in House GOP strategy and a direct intervention from President Donald Trump.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) unveiled a deal, contingent on support from their respective chambers, to fund parts of the DHS while providing immigration and border enforcement funding through a GOP-only reconciliation process.
The announcement comes after weeks of tension between House and Senate Republicans. The Senate unanimously passed a bill last week in line with this approach, but House Republicans rejected it, calling it a “joke” and criticizing the Senate for moving ahead without consultation. House Republicans instead passed an eight-week stopgap measure to fund the entirety of DHS, a bill that remains blocked by the Democratic filibuster.
Trump’s public endorsement of the reconciliation approach marked a turning point. The president posted on Truth Social on Wednesday, urging Republicans to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through a process that bypasses the Democratic Party and the Senate filibuster.
“We are going forward to fund our incredible ICE Agents and Border Patrol through a process that doesn’t need Radical Left Democrat votes, and bypasses the Senate Filibuster (which should be repealed, IMMEDIATELY!), working in close conjunction with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Leader John Thune,” Trump wrote.
He also set a firm deadline, calling for the bill to be passed by both chambers “NO LATER than June 1,” emphasizing that Republicans could act independently of Democrats. Trump framed the move as both a practical solution for federal workers and a political opportunity: “Through simple unification, Republicans can do this without the Democrats!”
Following Trump’s endorsement, Johnson and Thune issued a joint statement backing the president’s plan. The two leaders said they would pursue a two-track strategy: funding part of DHS through the regular appropriations process while using reconciliation to finance border security and immigration enforcement for the next three years.
“While we hoped they would accept the 60-day CR [continuing resolution] to fund the Department entirely so that bipartisan negotiations could continue, it is now abundantly clear that Democrats place allegiance to their radical left-wing base above all else — including their own power of the purse — which means open borders and protecting criminal illegal aliens,” the statement read.
Democratic leaders, however, criticized the move as a capitulation. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on X that “House Republicans caved,” while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called the plan a distraction from urgent agency funding. “It’s time to pay TSA agents, end the airport chaos and fully fund every part of the Department of Homeland Security that does not relate to Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda,” Jeffries said.
Despite the broad outlines of the deal, House GOP leadership faces a challenge in convincing members to support it. Key Freedom Caucus figures have been vocal in their opposition. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) previously described the Senate bill as “bad for America,” while Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) warned that separating ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) funding from the DHS “hands our border and ICE agents straight to the radicals who will defund and dismantle them every chance they get.”
The reconciliation approach is not new for the GOP. Leaders have previously used it to fund federal programs, including aspects of military operations and anti-fraud initiatives, without Democratic support. In this case, the process would allow Republicans to fund ICE and CBP while avoiding a Democratic filibuster, with Trump noting that agents are already being paid through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year.
Trump framed the reconciliation strategy as essential for national security and law enforcement continuity. “Immigration Enforcement will continue, and our Border will remain secure, with no Murderers, Drug Dealers, or Criminals of any kind entering our Country,” he wrote. He also criticized Democrats for allegedly seeking to “DEFUND the Police, Border Patrol, and all Immigration Enforcement,” arguing that the administration left the border vulnerable to violent criminals and unvetted migrants.
Looking ahead, the plan relies on internal GOP cohesion. The joint statement noted that Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), chair of the Senate Budget Committee, has begun crafting a budget resolution to fund border security and immigration enforcement through the remainder of the Trump Administration framework.
The outcome remains uncertain, as House Republicans must reconcile the divide between moderates and the Freedom Caucus, while Democrats continue to push for broader immigration enforcement reforms. Nonetheless, the Wednesday announcement represents a significant pivot in the shutdown saga, illustrating how Trump’s influence continues to shape Republican legislative strategy.
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