Washington — A bipartisan group of senators met Thursday with White House border czar Tom Homan as negotiators continued efforts to resolve demands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement reform and end the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
The session, held more than a month into the DHS funding lapse, was the first sustained in-person exchange in weeks and represented a modest step after a period of little visible progress. Democrats and the White House have traded proposals but remain far apart on core issues.
Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama described the convening as an opening dialogue, saying it was the first time in about six weeks senators had a conversation like this and cautioning that “there is no guarantee of anything.” She called the meeting helpful but emphasized it was not a full negotiation.
Democrats attending said the administration still has work to do to bridge major differences. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada said she and other Democrats would not back any package that failed to include substantive reforms on warrants, mask requirements, training and other priorities they have pushed.
The meeting comes as pressure mounts to restore funding for the many agencies overseen by DHS, including the Transportation Security Administration. Hundreds of TSA officers have resigned or walked away in recent weeks as unpaid workers endure prolonged uncertainty, contributing to staffing shortages and operational disruptions at airports. Democrats have sought to fund individual DHS components, moves Republicans have blocked, while Republicans have pushed for a temporary full-year funding measure that Democrats have rejected.
The roster for the private session included Senate appropriators from both parties: Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, along with GOP Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota and Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine and Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, who were part of talks that helped end last fall’s government shutdown, also participated.
Leaving the meeting, participants gave limited comment. Hoeven said negotiators had “made some progress,” while Murray characterized the remaining differences as a “long ways apart.” Homan urged a swift resolution, saying the priority was to get the government reopened.
The discussions are unfolding as DHS leadership is in transition. GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma is expected to be confirmed soon as the department’s next secretary, replacing Kristi Noem. Homan was previously deployed to oversee operations in Minnesota after Noem’s handling of a high-profile case attracted bipartisan criticism following the January killings of two U.S. citizens there.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said earlier Thursday that the impasse should be settled by the end of next week and expressed reluctance to allow the Senate’s planned two-week recess to begin while the government remains unfunded. Thune described the meeting as a constructive development and said he had encouraged such member-level talks.
For now, negotiators said significant gaps remain and further meetings will be needed if lawmakers hope to reach a compromise before the Senate recess.