Senate funds most of DHS but excludes ICE enforcement; U.S. reportedly engaging hard-liner in Iran talks
Key Takeaways
- The Senate approved funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after a 40-day lapse, but the package excludes funding for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and parts of CBP (Customs and Border Protection).
- It has been reported that President Trump will sign an order to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers immediately; the measure still faces uncertainty in the House.
- It has been reported that U.S. contacts with Iran may involve Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a hard-line figure with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
- For immigrants and visa applicants, the split funding creates short-term uncertainty around arrests, detentions, deportations and some border operations; USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) is fee-funded and may be less directly affected, though coordination disruptions are possible.
DHS funding deal — what passed and what was left out
The Senate voted unanimously early Friday to fund most DHS components after a roughly 40-day funding lapse, approving a package that explicitly leaves out ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) and parts of CBP. DHS is the federal department that oversees border security, immigration enforcement, and agencies like USCIS, ICE, CBP and TSA. Because Democrats refused to fund enforcement operations without reforms, the temporary deal funds the rest of the department while withholding the two most contentious enforcement units.
The practical effect: some immigration-enforcement activities could remain paused or operate under constrained guidance until funding is fully restored. The package’s approval in the Senate does not automatically restore payroll or operational certainty for ICE agents, CBP frontline units named in the carve-out, or for migrants subject to removal actions; those operations depend on whether the House passes the measure and whether alternative executive actions are taken.
Immediate human impact and what it means for people in the system
For people facing removal, detained migrants, attorneys and advocates, the split funding creates a patchwork of uncertainty. Detention, transfers, scheduled deportations and new arrest operations could be delayed or managed more selectively if ICE ERO lacks explicit funding. TSA officers — who had not been paid during the lapse, contributing to large airport delays — are due to be paid by a separate executive order that the president has indicated he will sign, but that order addresses pay, not long-term funding or staffing. USCIS, which funds most of its operations through application fees rather than annual appropriations, typically continues processing visas and green cards during appropriations fights, but ancillary effects (staffing, interagency coordination, court dates) may still disrupt timelines. Immigration attorneys should watch for ICE and DOJ memos and court notices; applicants should keep records and consult counsel if they have imminent hearings or travel plans.
Who the U.S. is talking to in Iran — and why it matters
Separately, it has been reported that the U.S. is engaged in talks with Iranian officials following the deaths of several top Iranian leaders. One likely interlocutor is Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the conservative parliamentary speaker and former IRGC commander, who is viewed as respected among regime hard-liners. It has been reported that Washington’s contacts could involve him or figures aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
For immigrants, dual nationals, asylum seekers and family members with ties to Iran, any diplomatic opening or negotiation can have downstream effects — from possible changes to visa processing, consular access and sanctions enforcement to shifts in refugee flows and the risk environment for people trying to leave or remain outside Iran. These are early reports; concrete policy shifts would require formal diplomatic moves and would be announced by the State Department or relevant agencies.
Source: Original Article