Sen. Charles Schumer (D.Y.) speaks to the media as Cabinet members brief Congress on Iran at the Capitol on March 3, 2026 in Washington.
Heather Deal | Getty Images
Congressional Democrats have sent a new counterproposal to the White House seeking to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, a move that could signal a thaw from the Department of Homeland Security shutdown that began on February 14.
The closures came after Democrats demanded changes to how federal immigration enforcement operates in exchange for funding relief after two Americans were shot and killed by DHS officers in Minneapolis. Democrats and President Donald Trump’s White House have been exchanging proposals for more than a month, but no deal has yet been reached.
The Democratic Party’s latest counterproposal was submitted late last night, said a person familiar with the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations. The official did not elaborate on the details of the Democratic Party’s recent attacks.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the delicate negotiations, told CNBC that the White House has received and is considering a counteroffer. The official also declined to provide details included in the Democrats’ latest proposal.
Later Tuesday, the White House’s lek revealed details of the proposal in a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Katie Britt (R-Alabama). The letter was obtained by MS Now.
The letter, written by Border Czar Tom Homan and Office of Legislative Affairs Director James Braid, said the administration “proposed to codify improved operational guidelines for immigration operations.”
Some of the administration’s concessions include introducing the use of body cameras and expanding enforcement, limiting enforcement in hospitals and schools, increasing police visibility, increasing surveillance requirements for DHS detention facilities, and codifying the practice of not intentionally arresting American citizens unless they have committed a crime.
But part of the concession is the regime’s insistence on adhering to statutes already codified into law.
The letter from the White House is the first indication of what the Trump administration intends to agree to in months of talks. The Democratic Party did not provide details on how it responded to the latest counterproposal.
Democrats said Tuesday the administration’s concessions remain insufficient.
“They have to take it seriously,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. “The important issue of warrants when you break into someone’s home, the important issue of police identity, whether or not you have a mask, they haven’t taken any steps towards that. They have to take it seriously.”
The DHS shutdown was less disruptive than last year’s widespread government shutdown, which was of record length. Much of DHS is considered essential, and employees continue to work without pay.
But the effects of the funding lapse are being felt at airports, too, with Transportation Security Administration employees quitting or being recalled instead of working without pay. They and other DHS employees did not receive their full paychecks for the first time last week. Due to a shortage of staff, large-scale conflicts are occurring at security checkpoints.
