The Trump administration made several promises in exchange for funding to the Department of Homeland Security. All of these come with caveats.
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WASHINGTON — In an effort to end a rapidly worsening Department of Homeland Security shutdown, the White House has proposed expanding the use of body-worn cameras for federal immigration enforcement agents and limiting their operations in churches, schools and hospitals.
But a month into the crisis, the Trump administration remains opposed to any mask ban for law enforcement officers, one of the most contentious parts of the debate over 9/11 Cabinet Office reform.
The concessions were detailed in a March 17 letter from senior Trump administration officials to Senate Republican leaders regarding the status of negotiations between the White House and Congressional Democrats.
The letter underscores growing pressure on the Trump administration and lawmakers to end the government shutdown that has come under widespread scrutiny since the killing of two Minnesotans by Homeland Security officials earlier this year, as terrorist threats grow and airport security lines grow longer across the United States.
He also emphasized how Republicans and Democrats continue to hold firm on their respective political positions even as the effects of the government shutdown increase day by day. The letter does not mention banning face coverings, which Democrats say is a priority. And even its most important concessions included caveats (or were already agreed to otherwise or enshrined in federal law).
Still, the letter’s authors, Border Czar Tom Homan and White House Legislative Director James Braid, insisted the administration was trying to negotiate in good faith to resolve the funding crunch.
“Democrats should really be ashamed of themselves for putting our country and so many federal employees in this position,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told reporters on March 17.
Democrats placed the blame on Republicans. They have indicated that while they support President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, they want larger policy changes.
“Personnel changes alone are not enough,” House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said on March 16. “We need policy changes. We need dramatic, bold, meaningful changes to ensure that ICE behaves like any other law enforcement agency in the country.”
What else did the White House propose?
In a letter to Congress, White House officials pledged to limit immigration enforcement operations in so-called “sensitive locations” such as churches and schools. But that promise included “narrow carve-outs that address pressing needs such as national security, flight risk, and public safety.”
There was no statement supporting a mask ban, but the administration said it would require federal employees to identify themselves upon request (“undercover agents are not subject to these requirements,” according to the letter).
Officials also pledged not to deport or knowingly detain U.S. citizens “unless in violation of a state or federal law under which they may be arrested.”
Democrats seek to force piecemeal legislation on TSA, FEMA, and Coast Guard
In recent weeks, Democrats have repeatedly tried to pass legislation that would support other important parts of the Department of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. More than 300 TSA employees have retired since the shutdown began, and deployment rates have risen rapidly, raising security hurdles for airports and raising the risk that smaller airports could be closed down in the future.
But Democrats have intentionally left out funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from these proposals while negotiations with the White House continue.
“Fund FEMA, not ICE,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, wrote on social media last week. “It’s pretty clear.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson says a funding bill that ignores ICE and CBP is not a start for Republicans.
“As one of the key agencies responsible for protecting the homeland, Customs and Border Protection plays an irreplaceable role in the national security framework. This is not a game,” he told reporters on March 17.
On March 18, House Democrats plan to move forward with a second vote to only fund the less controversial parts of DHS. With a razor-thin Republican majority, they hope to take aim at at least some Republicans whose voters may be dissatisfied with the TSA’s woes and the impact of the shutdown.
The House-passed bill still requires Senate approval, which is unlikely to happen until Democrats reach a deal with the White House.
Zachary Schermele is a Congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and on Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social..
