Both houses of Congress approved legislation restoring funding for most Department of Homeland Security operations; President Donald Trump signed the measure into law the same day.
President Donald Trump signs bipartisan measure reopening core Homeland Security operations, while immigration enforcement funding is deferred to separate negotiations.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Congress on Thursday, April 30, approved legislation restoring funding for most operations of the Department of Homeland Security, bringing to a close a 75-day partial shutdown that disrupted agency functions and delayed compensation for federal personnel.
President Donald Trump signed the measure into law the same day after it cleared both chambers of Congress, allowing several core security and emergency-response agencies to resume normal operations through the remainder of the fiscal year.
The law funds key components of DHS, including the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Secret Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard. Lawmakers, however, excluded funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, placing those agencies at the center of a separate legislative track expected to be taken up in the coming weeks.
The funding lapse began on February 14 following a prolonged impasse over immigration enforcement policy. Democratic lawmakers had sought additional oversight measures governing federal immigration operations, while Republican leadership pushed to maintain or expand enforcement funding aligned with the administration’s border priorities.
The standoff left a department of approximately 260,000 employees operating under constrained conditions. Aviation security operations faced staffing pressures, while broader concerns emerged regarding emergency preparedness, protective services and maritime enforcement capacity. Officials warned that temporary funding mechanisms supporting payroll would soon be exhausted without congressional action.
To resolve the immediate crisis, congressional leaders adopted a two-step approach. The first measure restored funding for the majority of DHS functions. A second, still-pending proposal is expected to address immigration enforcement appropriations, potentially through a budget reconciliation process that would allow passage in the Senate by a simple majority.
