By Solange Reyner | Monday, 09 March 2026 06:21 PM EDT
Senate sources familiar with the negotiations indicate that Kristi Noem’s removal as head of the Department of Homeland Security could clear a path to reopen the agency.
One source described ongoing discussions as “a lot of talks happening,” noting that “the moderates could be the off-ramp again.” The source also stated, “If people saw the substance of the White House offer, it is a substantive proposal. There’s an ongoing meaningful exchange.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, called Noem’s firing “a major step” that should move negotiations closer to a deal.
However, some Democrats remain cautious. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, emphasized that “the problems at ICE transcend any one individual. … It goes beyond any one person.” He added, “You need to straighten out the whole agency. The rot there is deep.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, welcomed Noem’s firing, calling her “a disgrace” but stressed that “a change in personnel is not sufficient.” He said, “We need a change in policy, and that has to be bold, dramatic, transformational, and meaningful.”
The Department of Homeland Security has been closed for more than three weeks. Republicans have attempted multiple times to pass legislation funding the agency, citing concerns about potential retaliatory terrorist attacks following Iran-related tensions. Democrats blocked the bill by insisting on changes to immigration enforcement operations after federal immigration officers killed an ICU nurse named Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
The House passed a funding bill 221-209 Thursday but the Senate has not advanced it, requiring a bipartisan compromise to end the shutdown that began February 14.
This comes amid ongoing efforts following the January passage of the bill by the House, which stalled in the Senate as Democrats pushed for new constraints on immigration enforcement tactics.
