politics
Trump Signs Bill Ending 76-Day DHS Shutdown
President Trump signed legislation to restore funding to most of the Department of Homeland Security, ending a 76-day partial shutdown that disrupted airport security and other operations. The bill excludes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection, which remain operational through separate funds.
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President Trump signed a bill on April 30, 2026, to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, ending a 76-day partial shutdown, the longest funding lapse in U.S. history. The House of Representatives passed the measure by voice vote earlier that day, following Senate approval nearly a month prior.
The legislation covers agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which had ceased nonessential operations during the shutdown.
The bill does not provide annual appropriations for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the border security functions of Customs and Border Protection. These agencies have continued operations using a separate funding stream, including $170 billion approved by Congress as part of a tax cuts bill last year.
Midway through the shutdown, President Trump issued an executive order to restart paychecks for essential employees who had been working without compensation. The administration had warned that emergency payroll funds would be exhausted by the end of April, potentially leaving employees unpaid starting in May.
The shutdown began on February 14, 2026, amid a political feud over funding for immigration enforcement. Senate Democrats filibustered a full department funding bill passed by the House in January, demanding reforms to immigration agencies after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens during protests against deportation sweeps in Minneapolis.
Republicans accused Democrats of aiming to defund the agencies entirely and rejected the proposed changes. Bipartisan negotiations on policy reforms failed, leading Republicans to pursue a two-step funding approach.
The Senate passed the partial funding bill in March, but the House delayed action until Republicans could advance separate funding for the immigration agencies. House Republicans initially amended the bill with a short-term stopgap, but the Senate rejected it, prompting further delays.
