President Donald Trump signed bipartisan legislation on Thursday that funds much of the Department of Homeland Security, ending a record shutdown that began on February 14. The bill, which received final approval in Congress earlier in the day, does not provide funding for the department's immigration enforcement operations.
The Department of Homeland Security had been without routine funds since mid-February, a situation that caused hardship for workers, according to reports. The lapse in funding was tied to a dispute over immigration policy, though much of President Trump's immigration agenda that was central to the disagreement is being funded through separate mechanisms.
The legislation was described as bipartisan, and Trump signed it swiftly after its passage. The funding measure covers many functions of the Department of Homeland Security but explicitly excludes immigration enforcement operations, leaving those activities to be financed through other means.
The shutdown, which lasted over a month, was the longest in the department's history. During that period, federal workers faced financial strain, and some services were disrupted. The bill's signing restores funding for the affected agencies, though the immigration enforcement components remain outside its scope.
The compromise was negotiated by the White House and congressional leaders from both parties. It allowed the government to reopen while leaving the contentious immigration enforcement funding to be addressed separately. The separate funding for immigration enforcement operations was already in place, according to officials, ensuring that key priorities of the administration continued without interruption.
The end of the shutdown was welcomed by lawmakers, who had faced pressure from constituents and federal employees affected by the lapse. The swift signing of the bill signaled a resolution to the immediate funding crisis, though the underlying immigration policy debates were expected to continue.
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