Article Summary –
The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has caused significant delays at U.S. airports as Transportation Security Administration screeners work without pay due to a funding lapse, which has been exacerbated by political disagreements over proposed bills to fund the department. President Donald Trump insists that no funding deal should be made unless Democrats first support the SAVE America Act, which includes requirements for voter ID and proof of citizenship to register to vote, and has been criticized by opponents as a means of voter suppression. While the GOP-led House has passed the SAVE America Act, it lacks the necessary votes in the Senate, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s proposal to fund DHS excluding ICE being rejected by Trump, who prioritizes the act as essential for Republican success in upcoming elections.
With the Department of Homeland Security shut down owing to a funding lapse, TSA screeners at airports are working without pay, causing long security lines. Air travelers face hours of delays across the U.S.
Republican lawmakers have blocked Democrats’ proposals to fund most of DHS. President Trump insists on passing the SAVE America Act, a bill requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration.
“We shouldn’t make any deal with the Radical Left Democrats unless they vote for ‘THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,'” Trump stated on Truth Social. He demands Voter ID and other measures in exchange for funding, warning Republicans against defying him.
Congress approved funding for all departments but DHS. The funding bill stalled over immigration rules. Democratic Sen. Patty Murray noted Republicans blocked funding for TSA and other agencies. ICE and CBP have some funding under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Without funding, many DHS agencies furloughed non-essential workers, requiring essential staff to work unpaid. TSA staff, unpaid, are leaving, resulting in two-hour security line delays at airports, NPR reports.
The Trump administration urged Congress to reopen DHS. “We need to get the government back open,” border czar Tom Homan said on March 30.
On March 21, Trump wrote that ICE agents could be deployed to airports to screen travelers, emphasizing arrests of illegal immigrants, particularly from Somalia.
ICE agents, not trained for screening luggage, will guard exits, Homan told CNN.
Asked about the idea of using ICE at airports, Trump replied, “Mine. That was mine. Like the paper clip, the idea was simple yet effective.”
The White House, asked why Trump ties DHS funding to the SAVE America Act, referred to Trump’s March 22 Truth Social post.
The GOP-led House passed the SAVE America Act. It faces Senate challenges, needing 60 votes. The bill mandates proof of citizenship for voting, potentially affecting married women and those without passports, Virginia Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner argue.
“The SAVE America Act goes beyond voter ID, serving as voter suppression,” the senators state. “Republicans leverage baseless election fraud fears, despite no evidence found.”
Punchbowl News reported Senate Majority Leader John Thune proposed separate DHS and ICE funding, but Trump rejected it, prioritizing the SAVE America Act for electoral success. “It’ll guarantee the midterms,” Trump stated.
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