Trump Signs DHS Funding Bill, Ending Partial Shutdown That Began Feb. 14

President Donald Trump signed legislation on Thursday funding much of the Department of Homeland Security and ending a partial shutdown that began Feb. 14. The bill, approved by the House on a voice vote, excludes dedicated funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

The White House announced the signing shortly after passage. According to the Washington Examiner, the action concluded a monthslong political battle. The Washington Times reported the shutdown ended hours before workers would have gone without pay again.

The funding lapse, which affected roughly 260,000 DHS employees including those required to work without routine pay, lasted 76 days and was the longest agency-specific funding lapse in U.S. history. It followed a prior 43-day governmentwide shutdown the previous year.

” The White House warned this week that temporary funds for TSA and other personnel would soon expire, risking operational disruptions. Immigration enforcement operations continued during the lapse with separate funding, including resources carried over from last year’s tax cuts legislation.

The Senate had unanimously approved a bipartisan package addressing the dispute approximately one month earlier. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had initially called the measure a “joke,” supported the bill after Republicans adopted a budget resolution on Wednesday by a 215-211 vote.

That resolution initiated a reconciliation process to address $70 billion in immigration enforcement funding through 2029. ” Rep. Chip Roy criticized isolating immigration funding as “offensive” to ICE and Border Patrol personnel. The resolution mirrors last year’s process used for Trump’s tax cuts legislation, which all Democrats opposed.

Votes on the immigration funding measure are expected in May, with Trump seeking completion by June 1.