Why did DHS funding exclude ICE?

Senate funds most of DHS, leaving out ICE

The U.S. Senate approved a Homeland Security funding package that would reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security while withholding funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The deal was positioned as a way to end a partial government shutdown that had disrupted airport operations and strained TSA staffing.

What the package covered

• Included: most DHS components, including airport security functions under TSA.
• Excluded: funding for ICE and some parts of CBP.

Because Congress had been unable to reach agreement for weeks, the exclusion became the central fight point: Democrats and Republicans split over whether to tie immigration enforcement funding to broader negotiations or allow it to continue under a clean temporary extension.

Why it matters for travelers and policy

This matters directly for day-to-day life in the U.S. because DHS oversees TSA, and airports had faced long lines and staffing shortfalls during the shutdown. Funding that restores TSA pay and operations can reduce travel delays over busy weekends.

At the same time, leaving ICE unfunded keeps pressure on immigration enforcement policy, intensifying attention on: - how ICE operations are financed and restarted; - whether immigration enforcement is treated as a bargaining chip separate from airport security; - legal and political accountability as DHS leadership and agents operate under changing budgets.

The immediate next step

The Senate vote sent the legislation to the House for consideration, keeping the focus on whether Congress can pass the package without further disruptions. If enacted, it would end the shutdown for most DHS functions while ICE remains in limbo under the funding structure.