House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Sunday for Congress to return immediately from spring recess to end the 52-day partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which has left thousands of federal workers without pay and created chaos at airports nationwide.

Senate Bill Blocked Twice by House Republicans

The Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation twice to fund most DHS operations, including the Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, and Federal Emergency Management Agency. However, the bill excludes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. House Republicans rejected both Senate attempts, instead passing separate legislation to fund the entire department through May 22. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declared the House bill dead on arrival in the upper chamber.

TSA Workers Face Weeks Without Paychecks

TSA agents worked without pay for weeks before President Donald Trump signed an executive order to compensate them. Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced Wednesday they would pursue funding through both appropriations and reconciliation processes. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, completing his second week in office, said he has spent most of his time coordinating with lawmakers to get DHS employees paid. He accused Democrats of holding federal workers hostage and endangering national security.

Immigration Reform Demands Block Progress

Democrats in both chambers demanded immigration enforcement reforms following federal agents’ shooting deaths of two American citizens in Minneapolis in January. The partial shutdown began in mid-February when lawmakers failed to agree on these reforms. Jeffries emphasized on ABC’s This Week that every senator from both parties supports the bipartisan Senate bill, which would fund critical homeland security functions while negotiations continue on immigration enforcement. Congress remains on spring recess until April 13, leaving the shutdown in limbo for at least another week.

What This Means

The stalemate highlights deep divisions over immigration policy and border security funding. While both parties agree on funding most DHS operations, disagreement over ICE and Border Patrol appropriations has paralyzed the department for nearly two months. With lawmakers not scheduled to return until mid-April, federal employees face continued uncertainty and the nation’s security operations remain compromised. The standoff demonstrates how immigration remains one of the most contentious issues dividing Washington, with neither side willing to compromise on enforcement mechanisms.