House ends brief shutdown, tees up ICE showdown

What happened

The House of Representatives on Tuesday narrowly approved legislation to fund most of the federal government through Sept. 30 and the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 13. The $1.2 trillion package passed 217-214, with 21 Democrats joining most Republicans to vote yes and 21 Republicans voting no. President Donald Trump signed the bill, ending the brief partial government shutdown that began Saturday.

Who said what

The funding bill had “provisions that appealed to both parties,” The Associated Press said. Republicans “avoided a massive, catchall” package and Democrats “were able to fend off some of Trump’s most draconian proposed cuts while adding language that helps ensure funds are spent as stipulated by Congress.” The bill also revoked a controversial provision that allowed a handful of Senate Republicans to sue the government for millions over a subpoena of their phone records.

Trump’s signature “kicks off a 10-day sprint for Republicans and Democrats to agree on policy changes regarding how Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents operate during immigration raids,” The Washington Post said. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he hoped Democrats “will operate in good faith over the next 10 days as we negotiate this.”

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“There’s not much optimism about a deal,” Politico said. Immigration enforcement is “one of the thorniest issues in national politics,” and Republicans are already “rejecting central demands from Democrats,” like requiring judicial warrants and banning federal agents from wearing masks. “We need dramatic change” to ensure that ICE and other DHS agencies “are conducting themselves like every other law enforcement organization in the country,” Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said. “Absent that, then a full-year appropriations bill is in deep trouble.”

What next?

Democrats were galvanized into taking a stand after immigration agents killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. But Republicans “think that they have a strong bargaining position, given that Trump’s signature 2025 law” ensured ongoing mass deportations with “an extra $75 billion for ICE,” The Wall Street Journal said. While ICE “would largely have a free hand to continue immigration enforcement,” Politico said, a “lengthy DHS shutdown could be uncomfortable quickly for both parties,” with lapsed TSA funding “potentially snarling airports” and Coast Guard members going without pay.