President Donald Trump on Friday said he opposes a Senate-passed funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, arguing it fails to fully fund key immigration enforcement agencies. The dispute comes as a partial shutdown of the department stretches into its sixth week.
Trump said in a phone interview with Fox News that the legislation “wasn’t appropriate” because it does not include funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. He said any funding measure must fully support law enforcement operations tied to border security, The Hill reported.
“Well, it wasn’t good. It wasn’t appropriate. Now what they should do is they should terminate the filibuster,” Trump said in the interview with reporter Jacqui Heinrich.
“In my opinion, you can’t have a bill that’s not going to fund ICE. You can’t have a bill that’s not going to fund any form of law enforcement,” Trump said. “This whole thing is about the Democrats wanting to have open borders, no ICE, no Border Patrol.”
Later Friday, Trump reiterated his position to reporters while traveling to Miami. He said he understood the positions of congressional leaders but maintained that the department must be fully funded.
“So I understand [Senate Majority Leader] John Thune, and I understand [Speaker] Mike Johnson,” Trump said. “They want to be sure that people aren’t coming into our country like they have for the last four years.”
The Senate approved a funding bill early Friday that would end the shutdown and fund most of the department, including the TSA. The measure does not include funding for ICE or Border Patrol.
The House rejected the Senate bill and advanced an alternative continuing resolution after Johnson complained that House leaders were not consulted first. Senate Democratic leaders declined to support the House proposal, leaving the standoff unresolved.
Johnson criticized the Senate measure, calling it inadequate. “I’m quite convinced that it can’t be that every Senate Republican read the language of this bill,” Johnson said.
“We’re not doing that,” he said. “And it is unconscionable to me that the Democrats would force some sort of negotiation at 3 o’clock in the morning.”
Johnson said the House will attempt to vote on its version of the funding bill as soon as possible. Lawmakers are scheduled to leave for a two-week recess tied to Easter and Passover, complicating the timeline for further action.
Trump also directed the Department of Homeland Security to ensure Transportation Security Administration workers are paid during the shutdown. In a memo, he said the situation constitutes an emergency affecting national security.
“These circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the Nation’s security,” Trump wrote.
A DHS spokesperson said TSA employees are expected to begin receiving paychecks as soon as Monday because of the directive. The shutdown has reached 42 days.
