Analysis: Who has the leverage in the DHS shutdown debate amid airport chaos
By Aaron Blake
Published on March 23, 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been in a shutdown for over a month due to long and growing TSA wait times, creating a new political urgency. The debate over funding for the agency has stalled, with Democrats demanding changes to federal immigration enforcement. However, a recent CBS News-YouGov poll suggests that Democrats may have more leverage than Republicans, with 31% of Americans agreeing that Democrats' position was worth having a partial shutdown, while 36% said it was not worth it. This is a significant increase from the larger government shutdown in October. While Democrats have remained resolute in their demands, there are signs of movement on the GOP side, with some suggesting separate ICE spending from the rest of the DHS funding and later ICE funding could be reconciled in a reconciliation bill. The "SAVE America Act" demands for changes to the elections process, which does not have the votes to pass the Senate.
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