Dem Sen. Slotkin Shifts Position On DHS Funding Amid Shutdown
The partial shutdown of the United States Department of Homeland Security is intensifying political pressure in Washington as lawmakers remain locked in a standoff over immigration enforcement funding.
Republicans say Democrats are attempting to reopen select parts of the agency while refusing to fund its broader mission—an approach they argue weakens national security during a period of rising threats at home and abroad, according to reporting from Fox News.
Republicans Warn of National Security Risks
John Barrasso sharply criticized the strategy while addressing the ongoing shutdown.
“And that’s at a time when our homeland is under attack, all warning lights are flashing red, and they want to peel apart, piece by piece, the Department of Homeland Security, the comprehensive department of our government to protect the American people, because they want to stand with illegal immigrant criminals.”
Republican leaders argue that selectively funding individual agencies undermines the broader national security structure built into DHS.
Democrats Push Targeted Funding Approach
Democratic leaders say their strategy is designed to restore essential services without conceding the broader immigration enforcement dispute.
Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic leader, said Democrats support passing individual funding bills for agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“We don’t have to tie that disagreement up and use people at the airports and American citizens as hostages,” Schumer said.
Republicans counter that they have repeatedly offered temporary funding measures to keep the entire department operational while negotiations continue.
John Thune said those proposals have been blocked multiple times.
“I assume the Democrat leader is aware of the fact that we have tried repeatedly to fund everything temporarily to allow the negotiations over the ICE budget to continue.”
Growing Democratic Divisions
As the shutdown drags on, signs of division are beginning to emerge among Democrats.
Elissa Slotkin has recently indicated she may support funding the department while negotiations continue—despite previously voting against a funding measure.
Her comments followed a recent terror attack in Michigan that renewed attention on homeland security vulnerabilities.
Meanwhile, some Democrats accuse Republicans of exploiting airport security concerns during the shutdown.
Jacky Rosen criticized Republicans for opposing a proposal focused solely on TSA operations.
“They don’t care about their constituents, the traveling public, and the folks who work there who are not part of this discussion or this argument.”
Fourth Vote Blocks DHS Funding
The latest clash came Thursday when Senate Democrats blocked a House-passed bill that would have fully reopened the Department of Homeland Security.
The procedural motion failed in a 51–46 vote, short of the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster in the United States Senate.
John Fetterman was the only Democrat to side with Republicans in supporting the measure.
It marked the fourth time since February 12 that Senate Democrats have voted to block DHS funding.
The House-passed legislation would fund the department through the end of the fiscal year and restore full operations to several key agencies, including the United States Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and FEMA.
Instead, the shutdown continues to strain personnel, slow operations, and delay funding for critical homeland security programs.
White House Compromise Rejected
Thune said the administration of Donald J. Trump has offered multiple compromise proposals aimed at reopening the department while negotiations over immigration enforcement reforms continue.
“There have been offers made repeatedly, the most recent of which was 13 days ago,” Thune said on the Senate floor.
He proposed a short-term funding resolution that would reopen DHS entirely while lawmakers continue debating immigration policy.
For now, however, the stalemate remains unresolved—leaving one of the federal government’s most critical security agencies partially shuttered during a period of rising geopolitical tension and domestic security concerns.