House Democrats largely voted Thursday to allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown to continue, rejecting renewed Republican pressure to approve a funding bill amid growing tensions with Iran and concerns about domestic security. The House passed a bipartisan DHS funding measure by a 221–209 vote, but nearly all Democrats opposed the legislation. Only four Democrats — Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez of Washington, and Don Davis of North Carolina — joined Republicans in supporting the bill.
The measure would fund DHS through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. It had previously passed the House in January after bipartisan negotiations ended a 43-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. Republican leaders brought the bill back to the floor this week, arguing that the evolving national security environment required immediate action. The vote came hours after President Donald Trump announced he was removing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and appointing Sen. Markwayne Mullin as her replacement. The surprise move stirred reactions on Capitol Hill but did not change Democratic opposition.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed the leadership change as irrelevant to negotiations, saying discussions had always been with the White House rather than DHS leadership. Although the bill includes provisions Democrats had previously sought — such as body cameras for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and expanded de-escalation training — Democratic leaders continue to demand additional limits on ICE and Customs and Border Protection operations following controversy over a federal enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
