There was some movement in the talks to end the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security on Monday, as Congressional Democrats sent another counteroffer to the White House, 18 days after the Trump administration sent theirs.
“Dems sent over a counteroffer late last night and White House is currently reviewing,” a White House official confirmed to The Daily Wire on background Tuesday afternoon.
The White House sent a letter to Sens. Katie Britt (R-AL) and Susan Collins (R-ME) on Tuesday outlining their own current offer, saying that the administration “will expand the use of body-worn cameras,” “limit civil immigration enforcement activities at certain sensitive locations” with a handful of exceptions, increase oversight of detention facilities, “enforce the use of visible officer identification” and other practices for officers who are not “undercover,” and “adhere to existing law and practice of not deporting any U.S. citizen and will convey current practice of not knowingly detaining a U.S. citizen, except when the person violates a state or federal law that makes the citizen subject to arrest.”
READ: Letter sent by WH to Senate on DHS shutdown.@realDailyWire
Trump admin offers to
-expand body cameras
-limit civil enforcement at “sensitive locations”
-increase detention facility oversight
-“officer identification worn by officers will be clearly displayed.”And… pic.twitter.com/6ZUlypxco5
— Cameron Arcand (@cameron_arcand) March 17, 2026
“This offer is reasonable, it is serious, it is the product of work that has gone on since the shutdown began,” a senior White House official told reporters during an on-background call, saying that the latest offer from Democrats sent late Monday night “does not indicate the seriousness that this moment needs.”
Exact details of the Democrat’s counteroffer are unknown, but Democrats have publicly said for weeks that they want to see an end to several federal immigration enforcement tactics, including the end of masking for agents, and the end of roving patrols. The Democrats are also demanding the use of judicial warrants to make immigration-related arrests.
The demands and the shutdown came amid backlash to Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota earlier this year, including the shooting of Alex Pretti.
While Democrats have intended for the shutdown to serve as leverage for immigration reforms, ICE and Customs and Border Protection have already been funded primarily through the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” last year, which means that the current shutdown has largely impacted other agencies, including TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told reporters on Tuesday that Democrats think the shutdown is a “political winner for them” and that the White House “went above and beyond … any initial offers that they put out there.”
“I mean, I just, you know, even with respect to body cameras, there was $20 million in the bill, the original bill. There was $100 million in the proposal from the White House, to include audits by the inspector general, you know, and reviews for noncompliance,” he added.
Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) is considered the lead Republican negotiator on the issue for the caucus, but her office told The Daily Wire last week that Democrats have largely been uncooperative in the process.
Meanwhile, travelers are facing long lines at airports across the country as a result of the funding lapse. At least 300 TSA agents have quit, and many others have called out from the job as they are obligated to work without a paycheck. Many Senate Democrats have argued that Republicans are stopping bills that would fund other aspects of the department unrelated to immigration.
“Right now, we could be paying TSA agents, funding FEMA before the next disaster hits, protecting our cyber defenses, and making sure the Coast Guard gets paid. But Republicans said no,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement last week.
“Democrats have tried—six separate times—to pass simple bills to keep these critical parts of DHS running while negotiations continue. Six times, Republicans came to the floor and blocked them. TSA officers shouldn’t miss paychecks, disaster relief shouldn’t be left hanging, and Americans’ safety shouldn’t be collateral damage in a political standoff Republicans created,” Schumer continued.
The ongoing shutdown, which kicked off in mid-February, comes at a time of transition for DHS, as Secretary Kristi Noem will be leaving her position on March 31, and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) is President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the department next. When Noem’s exit was announced amid multiple controversies, Schumer said that her removal would not suffice to bring back full funding for DHS.
“The President has fired Kristi Noem—good riddance. But let’s be crystal clear: the problems at DHS go far beyond a personnel change,” Schumer stated on March 5. “Under this administration, Americans have seen devastating violence and reckless ICE actions that have shaken communities across the country. The rot runs deep. If the President wants accountability, he must do more than fire one official — he must end the violence and rein in ICE.”
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