by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump on April 30 signed legislation officially ending an 11-week partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, restoring funding to critical agencies and bringing relief to furloughed federal workers across the nation.
The shutdown, which began on Feb. 14, lasted 76 days—making it the longest in U.S. history—and led to widespread disruptions, including extended airport lines due to reduced staffing at the Transportation Security Administration. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed the reopening, stating that DHS operations are now fully restored.
The newly signed legislation funds most of the department, including the TSA, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Secret Service. Federal employees who were furloughed during the shutdown will return to work and receive back pay after weeks of uncertainty.
Notably, funding for immigration enforcement agencies—Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—was excluded from the main bill. Instead, Republican lawmakers are advancing a separate reconciliation package that would allocate up to $70 billion for immigration enforcement and deportation efforts through the remainder of Trump’s term, bypassing Democratic opposition.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the strategy, explaining that separating immigration funding ensured those agencies would not be weakened during negotiations. The House has already approved a budget resolution for ICE and Border Patrol funding in a narrow 215–211 vote.
Democrats had pushed for new restrictions on immigration enforcement, including requiring judicial warrants for certain operations, banning agents from wearing face coverings, and increasing identification requirements. Republicans rejected these proposals, arguing they would undermine law enforcement and officer safety, prolonging the impasse.
The urgency to resolve the shutdown intensified following a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, where prosecutors say a suspect attempted to assassinate President Trump. The incident heightened concerns about funding for federal protection services, which had already been approved unanimously by the Senate.
The White House had also warned that temporary executive measures used to fund DHS workers were nearing exhaustion. With payroll costs exceeding $1.6 billion every two weeks, officials cautioned that essential operations could soon be at risk without congressional action.
Senate Republican leadership, including John Thune, acknowledged that using the reconciliation process was not ideal but necessary under the circumstances to break the deadlock and restore critical funding.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Israel expanded its military campaign against Hezbollah on Monday, striking more than 70 targets across Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to increase pressure on the Iranian-backed terror group following a sharp rise in drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel.
A federal appeals court is weighing whether Kansas City can use its public accommodation ordinance to require Christian counselors to counsel gay married couples despite the counselors’ biblical convictions on marriage and sexuality.
Tens of thousands of evangelical Christians gathered in the Netherlands for one of Europe’s largest multi-day Christian events, with organizers and participants expressing hopes for spiritual revival in the nation and across Europe.
President Donald Trump pushed back Monday against sharp criticism from Republicans and former administration officials over a potential U.S.-Iran agreement, insisting that any final accord must prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or it will not be signed.
President Donald Trump said Monday that countries involved in negotiations over Iran should be required to join the Abraham Accords, signaling that the White House is seeking to turn a possible Iran agreement into a wider regional realignment that includes normalization with Israel.
Tensions remained high in Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Sunday after at least tens of thousands of people demanded elections and rallied against what they view as the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Aleksandar Vučić, with violence erupting after the protest and more than 20 people arrested.
Investigations were ongoing Sunday into the killing of three senior Kuki-Thadou Christian church leaders by unidentified gunmen in India’s northeastern Manipur State, Christian investigators told Worthy News.