Trump Signs Bill Ending Historic DHS Shutdown After 76 Days

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump on April 30 signed legislation officially ending an 11-week partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, restoring funding to critical agencies and bringing relief to furloughed federal workers across the nation.

The shutdown, which began on Feb. 14, lasted 76 days—making it the longest in U.S. history—and led to widespread disruptions, including extended airport lines due to reduced staffing at the Transportation Security Administration. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed the reopening, stating that DHS operations are now fully restored.

The newly signed legislation funds most of the department, including the TSA, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Secret Service. Federal employees who were furloughed during the shutdown will return to work and receive back pay after weeks of uncertainty.

Notably, funding for immigration enforcement agencies—Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—was excluded from the main bill. Instead, Republican lawmakers are advancing a separate reconciliation package that would allocate up to $70 billion for immigration enforcement and deportation efforts through the remainder of Trump’s term, bypassing Democratic opposition.

House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the strategy, explaining that separating immigration funding ensured those agencies would not be weakened during negotiations. The House has already approved a budget resolution for ICE and Border Patrol funding in a narrow 215–211 vote.

Democrats had pushed for new restrictions on immigration enforcement, including requiring judicial warrants for certain operations, banning agents from wearing face coverings, and increasing identification requirements. Republicans rejected these proposals, arguing they would undermine law enforcement and officer safety, prolonging the impasse.

The urgency to resolve the shutdown intensified following a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, where prosecutors say a suspect attempted to assassinate President Trump. The incident heightened concerns about funding for federal protection services, which had already been approved unanimously by the Senate.

The White House had also warned that temporary executive measures used to fund DHS workers were nearing exhaustion. With payroll costs exceeding $1.6 billion every two weeks, officials cautioned that essential operations could soon be at risk without congressional action.

Senate Republican leadership, including John Thune, acknowledged that using the reconciliation process was not ideal but necessary under the circumstances to break the deadlock and restore critical funding.

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