President Donald Trump signed a funding bill on Thursday, April 30, 2026, ending the longest shutdown in the history of the Department of Homeland Security.

The resolution ends a period of operational instability that threatened federal security operations and left thousands of workers without pay. Because the agency manages critical border and national security infrastructure, the prolonged lapse created significant administrative and operational backlogs.

The legislation cleared the U.S. House of Representatives on a voice vote [5] before reaching the president's desk. The shutdown lasted 11 weeks [1], a duration that some reports describe as more than two months [2]. This period marks a record-breaking lapse in funding for the agency since its inception.

Lawmakers moved to pass the bill to prevent further loss of pay for federal security workers after existing funds were exhausted [6]. The funding measure aims to restore full functionality to the department's various branches, though reports differ on the specific allocations for certain agencies.

Some reports indicate the bill provides roughly $70 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol [3]. However, other sources state the funding does not include dollars for ICE and Customs and Border Protection [4]. The discrepancy highlights ongoing tension regarding the specific financial priorities for border security within the broader DHS budget.

With the signature of the president, the agency can now resume all normal operations. Federal employees affected by the shutdown are expected to receive back pay, although the timeline for these payments depends on the specific payroll processing of the Department of Homeland Security.

“The funding measure concludes an 11-week lapse in operations for the agency, the longest in its history.”

The conclusion of this record-length shutdown underscores the volatility of using agency funding as a legislative lever. By extending the lapse to 11 weeks, the event established a new precedent for the duration of partial government shutdowns, potentially impacting future budget negotiations and the morale of federal security personnel.