Some Republican lawmakers are hopeful that an agreement can be reached this week on a final Department of Homeland Security funding bill, The Hill reported.
"Once the State of the Union is over, then I'm sure talks will come back in," said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla.
Another Senate Republican lawmaker told The Hill that the potential of missed paychecks could pressure Democrats.
The shutdown "gets real going into the weekend if people are being required to show up to work and not get paid. That's when it becomes sympathetic and real," the person said.
A partial government shutdown began last Saturday after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump's team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the department through September.
Democrats are demanding changes to how immigration operations are conducted after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis last month.
The impasse affects agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The work at ICE and CBP goes on unabated because Trump's tax and spending cut law from 2025 provided billions more to those agencies that can be tapped for deportation operations.
About 90% of DHS employees were to continue working during the shutdown but do so without pay — and missed paychecks could mean financial hardships. Last year there was a record 43-day government shutdown.
White House border czar Tom Homan said the administration is unwilling to agree to Democrats' demands that federal officers clearly identify themselves, remove masks during operations, and display unique ID numbers.
"I don't like the masks, either," said Homan, who added, "These men and women have to protect themselves."
Americans want accountability and "an end to the chaos," Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on Feb. 12 before the bill was rejected, 52-47, in the Senate. "The White House and congressional Republicans must listen and deliver."
Schumer said it was not enough that the administration had announced an end to the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to thousands of arrests and the fatal shootings of two protesters.
"We need legislation to rein in ICE and end the violence," Schumer said, or the actions of the administration "could be reversed tomorrow on a whim."
Republicans have been largely opposed to most of the items on Democrats' list. But Trump has remained relatively silent about the talks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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