Speaking on March 19, Thune emphasized that Congress needs to resolve the impasse by next weekend. If DHS remains shut down, the Senate will continue working in Washington instead of taking the planned two-week break.
DHS entered a shutdown status last month after the Senate failed to pass a budget bill approved by the House. The cause stems from disputes over immigration policies and funding for ICE and the border patrol force.
Senators hoped to reach an agreement last week, but disagreements persist. Democrats are demanding deep reforms to ICE and Customs and Border Protection, while DHS has criticized these demands as potentially worsening the current chaos.
Usually, the Senate breaks for two weeks in late March, a time when members return to their home states to meet constituents—especially critical in a midterm election year.
However, Thune stated that the current priority is passing the budget, not resting.
Meanwhile, President Trump's border envoy, Tom Homan, met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers at the Capitol to find a way out of the deadlock. The meeting ended without an agreement.
The controversy currently focuses on funding for ICE, proposals to restrict federal agents from covering their faces while on duty, and requirements for stricter search warrant procedures.
If a deal is not reached in the coming days, DHS operations will continue to be affected, leading to increased political pressure in Congress.
