Did Senate agree to fund DHS except ICE?

Senate deal would fund most of DHS, leaving out ICE and Border Patrol

Multiple reports describe a Senate funding agreement intended to reopen the Department of Homeland Security after a prolonged lapse. The common thread in the coverage is that most DHS operations would receive funding, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol would not be funded in that package.

What the funding package excludes

The described approach would:

• Reopen DHS by approving funding for most components.
• Exclude funding for federal immigration enforcement, including ICE.
• Not fund deportation and enforcement operations, depending on the specific framing in the text.

In at least one version described as a “rare overnight session,” the Senate acted unanimously on a plan that would reopen DHS while withholding ICE and part of Customs and Border Protection.

Why it matters

The difference between general DHS funding and funding immigration-enforcement agencies is central to why the negotiations have been so contentious. Airport screening staffing and TSA travel operations have been hit by the broader shutdown, but immigration-focused provisions have become the leverage point in the bargaining.

For travelers, a DHS reopening can reduce administrative gridlock over time; for immigration policy, excluding ICE and Border Patrol keeps the shutdown’s policy dispute alive and forces lawmakers to continue negotiating over enforcement authorities.

The reports also indicate that disputes inside Congress—between Democrats and Republicans and within each party’s coalition—have prevented an end to the shutdown despite repeated attempts to reach a breakthrough.