NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
As the Homeland Security shutdown continues, a top Senate Republican says Democrats are getting “zero” of the reforms they want.
Congressional Democrats claimed victory, viewing the result as an important win in their push for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). They also accused Republicans in Congress of giving in to their demands.
While the Senate deal for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) includes funding for ICE and a large portion of CBP, it does not include the structural reforms that Democrats have vetoed over the past 48 days.
SENATE PASSES BILL TO PAY MORE DHS AFTER HOUSE GOP HUMBLE
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, RS.D., said Congressional Democrats have found “zero” changes to the DHS funding agreement. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
When asked if Republicans agreed, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, RS.D., told Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” “No, we didn’t.”
“I mean, ultimately, what the Democrats did, you could say … this was all about ‘reforms,’ restrictions on ICE and CBP agents and what they could or couldn’t do,” Thune said. “They got nothing out of that. They got nothing out of the changes they were advocating.”
Thune was responding to accusations from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., that “the House Republicans folded” after backing down on their push for a 60-day funding extension for the agency.
HOUSE CONSERVATIVES CONTINUE AGAINST SENATE DHS SHUTDOWN DEAL
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., returns to the US Capitol Building on March 20, 2026, in Washington, DC (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Schumer said the GOP’s split has “derailed bipartisan agreement” and said Democrats are clear on their goals to “fund essential security, protect the American people, and provide a blank check on the abuses of ICE and the Border Patrol.”
“We were united, we held the line, and we refused to let Republican chaos win,” Schumer said.
Thune responded, “Ultimately, this was all about their leftist base wanting no money handed to them.”
HOUSE GOP RAMS ON NEW DHS MONEY PLAN AWAY
President Donald Trump arrives from the Blue Room to address the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (Alex Brandon, Pool/AP Photo)
“The good news for us is that we saw this coming, and we funded it earlier this past summer, so ICE and CBP are funded at the end of the fiscal year. We will be adding to those accounts and making sure they are funded in future years,” Thune said.
Republicans, now backed by President Donald Trump, are eyeing a budget reconciliation process to fund immigration enforcement operations for the foreseeable future. It’s a tricky plan that would require full buy-in from Senate Republicans.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
For now, the shutdown continues. The Senate’s rework of its funding plan Thursday morning set up another vote in the House, where there is still strong opposition from some hardline Republicans, and the House is not expected to return to Washington, DC, until April 13.
