"We're making people hurt": Democrats adopt new tactic to win DHS shutdown fight
By Andrew Solender
Published on March 17, 2026.
House Democrats are launching a new strategy to end the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, by funding all of its sub-agencies except ICE and Customs and Border Protection. The move is seen as a move by Democrats to deflect blame onto Republicans and may incentivize them to negotiate on immigration enforcement reforms. The House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced that Democrats will file a discharge petition on a bill to fund TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and other non-immigration DHS agencies. The White House has already been keeping ICE and CBP funded with the more than $100 billion made available to the agencies in the One Big, Beautiful Bill. Most House Democrats plan to sign on to the discharge petition, including the chairs of its largest ideological caucuses. However, there are concerns about the strategy and the need for four Republican signatures to force a vote.
Read Original Article