White House Offers Concessions On DHS Funding To End Shutdown
The White House on Tuesday sent a letter, obtained by the Daily Caller, to Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Alabama Sen. Katie Britt proposing five concessions to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS has been closed since February 14, after lawmakers failed to agree on reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The administration blamed Democrats for refusing to move and vote on the issue.
The White House outlined five reforms it is willing to grant to Democrats, including expanding body–cameras worn by EDS law enforcement, limiting civil immigration enforcement activities in certain sensitive locations, increasing surveillance of DHS detention centers, requiring visible identification of officers, and not deporting U.S. citizens. (RELATED: Top Democrat admits why party shut down government)
“The Administration worked well faith reach bipartisan agreement again on full financing for the whole department of Homeland Security and Institute common–sense operational improvements to federal immigration enforcement operations that improve the security of American Communities,” the letter reads.
“Democrats must stop holding the safety and security of the American people hostage and moving forward with full DHS funding,” the letter added.
A senior White House official told reporters on a conference call that Democrats were not willing to negotiate reopening the agency. The letter is the latest effort by the White House to try to reach an agreement with Democrats to reopen the agency.
Enough is enough.
The Democratic Shutdown of DHS Must End! https://t.co/AQULDHfWG3
-TSA (@TSA) March 8, 2026
The shutdown left tens of thousands of airport workers without pay, something Americans are now starting to feel.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released a statement on March 9, calling on Democrats to reopen DHS.
“This chaos is a direct result of Democrats and their refusal to fund DHS. Stop holding our national security and everyday Americans hostage!” TSA released Monday.
“So there are people like a TSA agent who went without pay for 43 days during the previous Democratic-led lockdown, and here they are again. The financial insecurity that comes with that is enormous,” Britt, who is leading negotiations between the Democrats and the White House, said in early March.
“We’ve heard reports that officers are sleeping in their cars at airports to save money on gas, selling their blood and plasma, and taking second jobs to make ends meet. Some are just recovering from the financial impact of the 43-day shutdown and many are still in shock,” she continued.
