40 days of deadlock - now something is moving in Washington

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• After more than 40 days of shutdown, the US Senate has agreed to partially fund the Department of Homeland Security.
• The dispute revolves primarily around the immigration authority ICE and its powers.
• The lack of funding has led to chaos at airports, while Trump blames the Democrats.

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After weeks of dispute, the US Senate has passed a partial budget for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In a meeting on Friday morning (local time), the senators voted unanimously in favor of re-funding large parts of the DHS - with the exception of the immigration authority ICE and parts of border protection.

This could end the partial shutdown that has lasted for more than 40 days. The House of Representatives still has to approve the resolution.

Dispute over the deployment of the ICE immigration authority

The budget deadlock is the result of months of stalled negotiations between Democrats and Republicans over the budget for the Department of Homeland Security. Following controversial operations by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency ICE, which falls under the Department, the Democrats demanded stricter rules for its actions, such as raids. Republicans rejected such requirements.

According to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, "as much of the DHS budget as possible will be implemented and the rest will be funded later", he was quoted as saying by US broadcaster CNN.

Chaos at airports: Trump blames Democrats

The package also includes the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is responsible for security checks at airports. Its employees have been working without pay for weeks. The lack of staff has led to long queues, flight cancellations and delays across the country, some lasting hours.

On Thursday (local time), US President Donald Trump ordered TSA employees to be paid despite the lack of funds. The Democrats had "created a real national crisis", he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

For the Democrats, the compromise is a success. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats such as Senator Patty Murray said they had prevented a "blank check" for ICE and the Border Patrol. The Republican side said that the Democrats had blocked a comprehensive solution.