April 22, 2026Last updated on April 23, 2026, at 2:04 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON – Congressional Republican leaders announced on April 1 that they anticipated concluding the unprecedentedly long Department of Homeland Security shutdown “within days.”
However, three weeks have now passed since that statement.
Since that time, the political landscape has become considerably more complicated. Ordinary Republican members of Congress insist on advancing legislation that allocates additional funds for federal immigration enforcement, concurrently with a separate bill to finance other Department of Homeland Security operations. This approach has proven to be a difficult and slow process, further hampered by a perceived lack of immediate concern on Capitol Hill, particularly after President Donald Trump redirected federal funds to ensure payment for the struggling agency’s staff.
Nevertheless, this week, freshly appointed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued a warning that those funds are depleting rapidly. He stated on “Fox and Friends” that Congress must take action after the first week of May.
Failure to do so could result in tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration personnel facing unpaid work once more.
He stated, “We only have enough for one more payroll cycle, and there are no additional emergency funds available, preventing the president from issuing another executive order as there’s no more money left.”
Under duress from the House GOP, Senate Republicans expedited a budget proposal in the early hours of April 23, suggesting an allocation of approximately $70 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for the upcoming three years. However, its passage through the Senate provided Democrats with an opportunity to compel Republicans into difficult votes, resulting in the rejection of several affordability initiatives designed to reduce daily expenses for citizens.
According to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, his party’s strategic move to compel Republican legislators to seemingly vote against measures aimed at lowering prices for gas, healthcare, and groceries would present a clear contrast to voters leading up to the November midterm elections.
He informed reporters, “Senate Democrats intend to highlight these distinctions with growing clarity.”
The Department of Homeland Security Remains in a State of Crisis
The Homeland Security shutdown reached an unprecedented length by the close of March, exceeding the previous year’s record. Nonetheless, the most severe issues stemming from the funding stalemate were mitigated by President Trump’s directives, issued weeks prior, which redirected funds to cover DHS employee salaries.
Despite these actions, the agency has emphasized its continued state of emergency.
For example, at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, firefighter training has been deferred because of insufficient operational funds, affecting all courses at the National Fire Academy. Furthermore, the National Flood Insurance Program is functioning with substantial restrictions. Moreover, even during the ongoing Iran war, over 50% of staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency – a DHS branch responsible for safeguarding Americans from cyber dangers – are currently on furlough.
Fresh details have been incorporated into this report through an update.
Zachary Schermele serves as a congressional correspondent for USA TODAY. He can be contacted via email at [email protected], or followed on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.