Senate Democrats send DHS counteroffer to Trump as shutdown drags on
Sen. Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to the media as Cabinet officials deliver congressional briefings on Iran at the Capitol in Washington, March 3, 2026.
Heather Diehl | Getty Images
Congressional Democrats sent a new counteroffer to the White House to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, a person familiar with the negotiations told CNBC.
DHS has been shut down since Feb. 14. The shutdown comes as Democrats demand changes to how federal immigration enforcement operates in exchange for releasing the funding after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by DHS officers in Minneapolis. The Democrats and President Donald Trump’s White House have been trading proposals for over a month but have not yet clinched a deal.
The latest Democratic counteroffer was sent late last night, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the private negotiations. The person declined to detail what’s in the Democrats’ latest volley.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations, told CNBC the White House has received the counteroffer and is reviewing it. The official also did not offer any details included in the Democrats’ latest proposal.
The shutdown at DHS has been less disruptive than last year’s record-long broader government shutdown. Much of DHS is considered essential, meaning employees are continuing to work without pay.
But the effects of the funding lapse are being seen in airports, where Transportation Security Administration agents are quitting or calling out rather than working without pay. They and other DHS employees missed their first full paychecks last week. The shortage of agents has caused massive pileups at security checkpoints.
<
