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The deal under discussion would fund the department except for the part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement charged with arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants.
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A day after President Trump said he did not want a compromise, Republicans were exploring breaking off ICE funding so the rest of the Department of Homeland Security could reopen.
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The partial government shutdown over funding for the Department of Homeland Security has caused major staffing shortages within the Transportation Security Administration, an agency under DHS that handles airport security procedures created in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. TSA officers have not been paid for over a month, leading to hundreds of resignations and leaves of absence. As airports are hit with significant delays, Cameron Cochems, the vice president of a union representing thousands of fellow TSA workers, urges travelers to use their time waiting to call their elected representatives "to fund the TSA so we can get our paychecks and we can get back to work."
To fill staffing shortages, DHS has deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to U.S. airports. This comes as ICE is under fire for a hiring surge with minimal vetting and training for new officers. "It really feels like they're a Band-Aid over a gaping wound. Our officers, they're not getting paid, and having people that come in that are getting paid just feels like an insult," says Cochems, who adds that the ultimate goal of the Republican Party is to eliminate union protections and privatize the TSA.
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The president is using the standoff over funding the Department of Homeland Security as leverage to pass a strict voter ID bill. Critics say the bill would place an undue burden on eligible voters.
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