House Speaker Mike Johnson told Republicans Thursday he will not move forward with a vote on Department of Homeland Security funding until the Senate delivers meaningful progress on immigration enforcement priorities.
Johnson's ultimatum comes after two and a half hours of contentious discussion among House GOP members who have grown skeptical of leadership's strategy. The core problem: Johnson lacks the votes to pass a DHS bill without separate funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, according to sources briefed on the call.
The speaker believes the Senate could pass a narrow reconciliation package targeting ICE and CBP funding within two weeks. Once that happens, or appears close to completion, Johnson signaled he could secure enough Republican support to move a DHS appropriations bill in the House.
Rank and file Republicans made clear they no longer trust the Senate after a funding dispute erupted just days earlier. Members fear that if the House acts first on DHS without locking in ICE and CBP money, the Senate could reverse course and abandon those agencies. That anxiety explains why Johnson is essentially conditioning his next move on seeing Senate action first.
Stripping Language, Floating Bigger Deals
Another wrinkle emerged during the call: several House Republicans want to remove language from the Senate bill that would zero out ICE and CBP funding. They view any bill that appears to defund those agencies as politically toxic, even if temporary.
Johnson showed openness to making those changes, but any alterations would require the Senate to pass the legislation again, creating additional delay.
Behind the scenes, lawmakers floated alternative strategies. Rep. Nick LaLota suggested sending a short-term funding extension paired with border reforms championed by Border Czar Tom Holan to force Democrats into a difficult vote. Rep. Eric Burlison urged leadership to boost ICE funding inside reconciliation as a message to Democrats.
Johnson also raised the possibility of a broader third reconciliation package that could run simultaneously with the ICE/CBP bill. That package could include safety net cuts, health care changes, and portions of the SAVE America Act, though details remain preliminary.
The timing and substance of any funding approach remains fluid. What appears certain is that House Republicans have dug in on refusing to separate DHS appropriations from immigration enforcement funding, a hard line that contradicts positions leadership took just one week ago.
One development that may have reduced immediate pressure: President Trump announced Thursday he would pay DHS workers through executive action, temporarily easing the urgency of the shutdown.
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