An attempt by Senate GOP leaders to reopen the Department of Homeland Security while punting on immigration enforcement funding blew up within hours, after President Donald Trump issued an angry rejection of the proposal Sunday night.
Hoping to find a bipartisan fix for ending a one-month partial shutdown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., asked Trump to consider a plan that would allow Congress to pass full-year funding for the beleaguered department except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Democrats would get a key piece of what they’ve been angling for: full-year funding for critical agencies like the Transportation Security Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency, while ICE would have to wait until there’s a bipartisan deal on immigration enforcement policies.
