President Donald Trump is telling Republicans not to cut any deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security unless it includes his election bill. The demand reset negotiations after Trump rejected a Senate compromise, as the partial shutdown stretches into its sixth week and airport disruptions continue nationwide.
Senators met with Trump at the White House late Monday and worked through the night on a new proposal to break the stalemate, according to the Associated Press. Negotiators are expected to present a written plan Tuesday.
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Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said negotiations over the weekend were “constructive” and that Democrats are ready to keep talking with the White House.
Late Monday, leaders from both parties described the talks as productive, pointing to movement after weeks of gridlock.
Schumer also said Trump is blocking a deal that funds most of the department and restores pay for Transportation Security Administration workers. Tens of thousands of DHS employees, including TSA officers, have been working without pay since funding lapsed.
“So Donald Trump, the more you keep ICE agents at our airports, the more you will be reminding people of how much chaos and fear ICE has already caused,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Monday. “It’s a simple solution… pay the TSA workers.”
Trump ties funding to SAVE Act
Trump has made the SAVE America Act a condition for any DHS funding deal. The bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot in federal elections.
On Monday, Trump urged Republicans not to reach an agreement unless Democrats accept the bill.
“The Democrats are being blamed by the American people for the catastrophe going on right now at our airports,” he said at an event in Memphis. “And we want the public to know we’re not going to let them out of this trap that they created for themselves.”
Trump also told senators to stay in Washington and continue negotiations instead of leaving for recess.
“Don’t worry about Easter, going home,” Trump said. “In fact, make this one for Jesus, okay?”
Punchbowl News first reported that Senate GOP leaders had been working toward a compromise that would fund most of DHS while handling immigration enforcement separately, but Trump rejected that approach.
Proposal takes shape around ICE funding
The proposal now under discussion would fund most of the department, including TSA, while excluding ICE’s enforcement and removal operations, according to the Associated Press.
It would still fund other parts of ICE, including investigative operations, along with Customs and Border Protection.
The plan would also impose new limits on immigration enforcement, including requirements for body cameras and visible identification for officers.
ICE deployment expands at airports
The administration has moved forward with sending ICE agents to airports to assist TSA operations during the staffing shortage.
The White House says the agents are helping manage security lines and support screening operations. Checkpoint delays have stretched for hours at some airports, with staffing gaps widening as unpaid TSA workers call out or leave their positions.
ICE agents continue to be paid during the shutdown under separate funding approved last year, while TSA and other DHS agencies remain unpaid.
Talks continue this week, with lawmakers warning the upcoming recess could be delayed without a deal.
