After nearly six weeks of a grueling shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may soon see light at the end of the tunnel. In a late-night session, the Senate passed a bill to fund the DHS, excluding funding for ICE and certain parts of CBP, aligning closely with recent Democratic demands.

The bill, passed by voice vote around 2:30 AM on Friday, marks the end of drawn-out negotiations in the Senate. However, this resolution sets the stage for potential conflict in the House, where the sentiment among Republicans may lead to resistance. This is especially likely given President Donald Trump’s recent unilateral action to resume payment to TSA workers amidst the ongoing funding battle.

Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) hinted at a fierce comeback, stating, “What’s coming next will supercharge deportations. The filibuster cannot save you.” This suggests that future legislative efforts might focus intensely on immigration enforcement funding.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrated the Senate's stance, emphasizing the Democratic resolve against providing a "blank check" for ICE and CBP operations. Yet, the victory may be short-lived as the bill now faces a precarious journey through the House.

The typical procedure for passing bipartisan bills might not be viable. Due to procedural rules, suspension motions, which require a two-thirds majority, are off the table on Fridays. This leaves House Speaker Mike Johnson with the challenging task of rallying his conference to agree on a rule to bring the bill directly to the floor for a vote.

House Republicans face internal pressure, particularly from hard-liners who are unsatisfied with the exclusion of enforcement funding in the Senate's bill. Despite this, Speaker Johnson could argue that the bill does not impose additional constraints on ICE and CBP, which still have access to a substantial part of last year’s nearly $140 billion funding under the previous megabill.

Moreover, the potential for adding more funds for enforcement and deportation in a future reconciliation bill might serve as an incentive for Republicans, mirroring the strategy used to push through major tax cuts in the past.

Adding to the complexity, DHS is now led by former House and Senate member Markwayne Mullin, who faces the daunting task of stabilizing the department amidst these turbulent times. As Representative Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) remarked, “He didn’t exactly walk into the Pacific Ocean on a calm day.”

As the House gears up to tackle this critical funding bill, all eyes are on whether bipartisan cooperation can prevail or if political divisions will lead to further deadlock.

*Jordain Carney, Jennifer Scholtes, and Eric Bazail-Emil contributed to this report.*