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Shutdown ends after 76 days
President Donald Trump signed a spending bill on Thursday, officially ending a 76-day partial government shutdown that disrupted operations at U.S. airports and left thousands of federal workers unpaid.
Funding restored for Homeland Security
The legislation, passed earlier by the House of Representatives, funds the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the remainder of the fiscal year. DHS oversees critical functions including airport security and immigration enforcement.
However, the bill does not allocate funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), leaving their financial future uncertain.
Airport disruptions and worker pay
The shutdown caused widespread chaos at airports nationwide due to a shortage of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, who worked without pay for weeks. Long security lines and delays became common as officers called in sick or sought other employment.
In March, Trump issued an executive order to ensure TSA agents received back pay, though the move did little to alleviate immediate financial strain for workers. The newly signed bill guarantees timely paychecks for security personnel moving forward.
Political standoff over immigration
The funding lapse began in February after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on immigration policy. Democrats refused to fund ICE and CBP, citing concerns over enforcement practices following two fatal shootings in Minnesota involving federal immigration officers.
Republicans, meanwhile, pushed for full funding of both agencies, leading to a prolonged impasse. House Speaker Mike Johnson initially resisted bringing the Senate-passed bill to a vote, arguing it was insufficient without full immigration enforcement funding.
"We were not going to have lines at TSA. Everybody will get their paychecks now."
House Speaker Mike Johnson
Democrats and Republicans trade blame
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin celebrated the end of the shutdown on social media, calling it a "Democrat shutdown" that "NEVER should have happened."
Democrats countered that the shutdown was prolonged unnecessarily by Johnson. Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on government funding, stated, "This is the same bill the Senate unanimously passed five weeks ago."
Next steps for ICE and CBP funding
Congressional Republicans are now focused on securing up to $70 billion in additional funding for ICE and CBP for the remainder of Trump's term. Democrats continue to push for stricter oversight and limits on enforcement practices.
Last week, Senate Republicans used a procedural maneuver to advance the bill without Democratic support. It remains unclear when the House will vote on the measure.
