THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 17, 2026
The Honorable Susan Collins
United States Senate
Washington, D.C.
Expensive Senator Collins and Senator Britt,
The Honorable Katie Britt United States Senate Washington, D.C.
Thanks to your service to our nation. In response to your request, this letter particulars the most recent standing of negotiations with Democratic congressional management. We look ahead to persevering with to accomplice with you to convey this mindless and harmful shutdown to an finish.
The Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) shut down after February 13, a month in the past. Previous to the DHS shutdown, Republican and Democratic management and appropriators, and the Trump Administration, negotiated a bundle of appropriations payments on a bipartisan foundation. This bundle included a bipartisan settlement to supply full-year funding for DHS, and it was handed by the Home on a bipartisan foundation. Earlier than passage within the Senate, congressional Democrats determined they might not vote for the invoice they negotiated, and compelled Congress to resort to a ten-day clear extension of DHS funding.
On February 4, 5 days after Congress handed the DHS funding extension, the Democrats launched an inventory of calls for. Three days afterward February 7, they produced legislative textual content of their calls for. Sadly, nearly all of their calls for, as written, would make it unimaginable to totally shield Americans from harmful felony aliens and expose legislation enforcement and their households to rising threats of violence. In different phrases, they might prioritize unlawful aliens above American households. On February 9, the Administration despatched a doc explaining its counter proposal, and adopted up with legislative textual content two days afterward February 11. On February 12, White Home Border Czar Tom Homan explicitly ended the surge operation in Minnesota. He additionally instituted numerous important modifications to immigration enforcement actions, like ending ICE roving patrols, up to date protocols for dealing with illegal agitators, deployment of body-worn cameras, and superior discover to and superior cooperation with native legislation enforcement in conducting operations. On February 16, three days into the shutdown, the Democrats responded to the Administration counter provide by proposing successfully their authentic provide once more. Since, the Administration transmitted a counter provide, after which 18 days later, on March 16, the Democrats responded with a counter provide that fails once more to point out a superb religion try to compromise.
Because the starting of this lapse in appropriations, the Administration has sought to convey it to an expeditious conclusion by means of good-faith negotiation. On the Senate flooring on Thursday, March 12, the Administration’s place was repeatedly mischaracterized.
