Senators meet with border czar as lawmakers search for way out of DHS shutdown

2 days ago 8

Washington — A radical of senators met with borderline czar Tom Homan connected Thursday arsenic negotiators proceed to question an statement to betterment Immigration and Customs Enforcement and extremity the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

More than a period into the backing lapse, the gathering marked a cardinal improvement arsenic advancement to day has appeared stagnant. Democrats and the White House person been trading proposals successful caller weeks, but the 2 sides person remained acold apart.

"First measurement is dialogue, and this is the precise archetypal clip that we person had that" successful six weeks, Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama said. "I anticipation that we volition spot much of that successful the days to come."

She added that Thursday's gathering was not a negotiation, but a conversation, and determination is "no warrant of anything."

"I deliberation it was helpful," she said.

While Democrats person been trading offers with the White House, Senate Republicans person pushed publically for member-level talks successful caller weeks. Democrats person argued that they needed assurances that the medication is superior astir the negotiations, portion voicing skepticism that talks with Senate Republicans would output a breakthrough.

Tom Homan, White House borderline czar, departs pursuing a gathering with lawmakers astatine the U.S. Capitol connected March 19, 2026.

Meanwhile, unit has mounted to money the galore agencies DHS oversees, including TSA. Hundreds of TSA officers person discontinue successful caller weeks arsenic workers person gone without pay, portion staffing issues person created chaos astatine airports. Democrats person tried to walk backing for idiosyncratic agencies, but Republicans person blocked those attempts. Republicans person successful crook tried to o.k. funds for each of DHS connected a impermanent basis, which Democrats person likewise blocked.

The talks travel arsenic DHS enactment is undergoing a alteration aft the actions of national instrumentality enforcement person been intensely scrutinized successful the aftermath of the killings of 2 U.S. citizens successful Minnesota successful January. GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma is expected to beryllium confirmed successful the coming days arsenic the caller DHS secretary, replacing Kristi Noem. Homan was brought successful to pb operations successful Minnesota arsenic Noem's enactment faced disapproval from members of some parties.

GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the apical appropriators successful the Senate, were successful the gathering with Homan. Other appropriators, including GOP Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota and Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, were besides successful attendance, arsenic were Sens. Angus King, a Maine independent, and Maggie Hassan, a New Hampshire Democrat. King, Hassan and Shaheen were progressive successful negotiations to extremity the longest authorities shutdown successful past past fall.

Leaving the meeting, a fig of senators declined to remark connected the backstage conversation. Hoeven told reporters "we made immoderate progress," but Murray said the 2 sides stay a "long ways apart."

The Senate is acceptable to permission municipality for a two-week recess astatine the extremity of adjacent week. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, told reporters earlier successful the time that the impasse "needs to get resolved by the extremity of adjacent week."

"I can't spot america taking a interruption if the government's inactive unopen down," helium added.

Thune said up of the gathering that it marked a affirmative development, saying "we've been encouraging this for a while, and gladsome to spot some sides sitting down."

Homan said leaving the gathering that "we request to get the authorities backmost open."

Nikole Killion, Alan He and Caitlin Huey-Burns contributed to this report.