Senators Confront Border Czar in DHS Shutdown Crisis

Washington — A group of senators met with border czar Tom Homan on Thursday as negotiators continue to seek an agreement to reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement and end the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. This meeting marked a significant step forward in a situation that has been stalled for over a month.

The meeting was described by Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama as “the very first time” in six weeks that dialogue had occurred. She emphasized that while it was not a formal negotiation, it was a crucial conversation that could lead to more discussions in the coming days. However, she also noted that there were no guarantees of any outcomes from the meeting.

Democrats have been exchanging proposals with the White House in recent weeks, but the two sides remain far apart in their positions. Senate Republicans have been pushing for member-level talks, while Democrats have expressed skepticism about whether such discussions would result in meaningful progress. They have also called for assurances that the administration is genuinely committed to the negotiations.

According to a Democratic aide, the hearing highlighted the distance between the demands of Democrats and what the White House has offered. Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada stated in a statement that while she appreciated the White House’s willingness to talk, there was still much work to be done. She added that her colleagues and she would not support any deal that did not include real reforms on warrants, masks, training, and other key issues.

Meanwhile, pressure has increased to fund the many agencies under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Hundreds of TSA officers have quit in recent weeks due to unpaid leave, leading to staffing shortages and chaos at airports. Democrats have attempted to pass funding for individual agencies, but these efforts have been blocked by Republicans. In response, Republicans have proposed temporary funding for all of DHS, which Democrats have also rejected.

The ongoing talks come amid a leadership transition within DHS following intense scrutiny of federal law enforcement actions after the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota in January. GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma is expected to be confirmed as the new DHS secretary in the coming days, replacing Kristi Noem. Homan was brought in to oversee operations in Minnesota as Noem faced criticism from members of both parties.

At the meeting, several top appropriators from both parties were present, including GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. Other attendees included GOP Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota and Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, as well as Sens. Angus King of Maine and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire. King, Hassan, and Shaheen were involved in negotiations to end the longest government shutdown in history last fall.

After leaving the meeting, several senators declined to comment on the private discussion. Hoeven told reporters that “we made some progress,” but Murray said the two sides remain “a long ways apart.”

The Senate is set to go on a two-week recess at the end of next week. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, told reporters earlier in the day that the impasse “needs to get resolved by the end of next week.” He added, “I can’t see us taking a break if the government’s still shut down.”

Thune had previously praised the meeting as a positive development, saying, “We’ve been encouraging this for a while, and glad to see both sides sitting down.” Homan, leaving the meeting, stated that “we need to get the government back open.”