Congress reopened the government, but the Homeland Security fight is far from over

The House of Representatives voted this week to end a nearly four-day partial government shutdown, reopening several federal departments after days of disruption. The development was reported by The Hill, which detailed the narrow margins and unresolved issues tied to the deal.

The funding package passed by a slim 217 to 214 vote, reflecting an unusual bipartisan split. Twenty-one Republicans voted against the measure while 21 Democrats supported it, even as most Democratic leaders opposed the bill despite its role in reopening the government.

The bill was structured as a so-called minibus, funding five major departments through the end of the fiscal year on September 30. Energy, Defense, Treasury, Labor, Education, the judicial branch, and several independent agencies received full-year funding, but the Department of Homeland Security was granted only a short-term extension.

The shutdown ended, but the real fight was delayed

The short-term DHS funding ensured that the underlying policy dispute driving the shutdown would continue, keeping negotiations on a separate track from broader election fights like Trump’s voting takeover comments. The impasse began after a federal immigration enforcement agent killed Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti last month, prompting Senate Democrats to demand changes at DHS before agreeing to full-year funding.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted against the bill, saying it failed to provide a robust path toward dramatic reforms at the department. Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are aligned in pushing for policy changes before any long-term DHS funding is approved.

Democratic demands for the next round of negotiations include tightening warrant requirements, banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents from wearing masks while on duty, and establishing clearer use of force guidelines. Speaker Mike Johnson rejected the warrant proposal as unworkable, while Republicans have countered with calls to address sanctuary cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Passing the temporary funding measure required significant maneuvering within the Republican conference. Several GOP holdouts sought to link the bill to the SAVE Act, which would require voter identification and proof of citizenship to register.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna withdrew her opposition after meeting with President Trump and receiving assurances about Senate procedural efforts, while Rep. John Rose reversed his initial no vote following confusion over a promised Senate vote. Thune quickly denied making any such promise, and Rose eventually backed down.

With the February 13 deadline approaching, both parties are already signaling firm positions, as other Washington disputes like the Clintons’ testimony in the Epstein probe keep pulling attention in competing directions. Some Republicans have suggested another continuing resolution to fund DHS through the rest of the year, but Jeffries has said that option is off the table.

Johnson has warned that a lapse in DHS funding would shut down TSA operations, the Coast Guard, and FEMA, while Republicans have noted that ICE got a $75 billion funding increase last year that could sustain operations for several years.