The U.S. Senate voted on Friday to end a weeks-long partial government shutdown that had disrupted key services, including airport operations across the country. The legislation restores funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), covering airport security personnel, disaster-response teams, and U.S. Coast Guard members who had been working without pay since mid-February. However, the bill does not address the ongoing dispute over immigration enforcement policies that triggered the six-week standoff. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives is expected to vote on the measure before it can be signed into law by President Donald Trump.
The shutdown had significantly impacted airport operations, with major hubs such as Houston and Atlanta reporting security wait times of up to four hours due to staff shortages. Many TSA officers had called in sick or resigned after missing paychecks, leading to operational strain. Despite the shutdown, immigration enforcement activities continued uninterrupted, as agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) relied on separate funding streams.
The political deadlock stemmed from Democratic demands to impose limits on DHS agents following a controversial incident in Minneapolis where two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by federal officers. While Democrats withheld support for DHS funding to push for reforms, the final compromise bill excluded both the proposed restrictions and additional immigration enforcement funding. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer defended the party’s stance, while Republican Senator Susan Collins criticized Democrats for undermining national security and disrupting the federal funding process.
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