DHS Shutdown Enters Sixth Week as Bipartisan Deal Stalls; Thune Threatens to Cancel Easter Recess

DHS funding negotiations remain deadlocked entering their sixth week despite daily meetings between White House border czar Tom Homan and a bipartisan Senate group. Senate Majority Leader Thune threatened to cancel the chamber's two-week Easter recess unless a deal materializes. Democrats demand mask ban, judicial warrant reform, and a universal code of conduct for ICE/CBP agents; the administration offered to codify body camera use, limit enforcement at hospitals and schools, and increase detention oversight. The impasse has left 240,000+ DHS employees working without pay.