The recent short-term extension of funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expires this Friday, with the House and Senate not yet in agreement on an appropriations measure that goes through Sept. 30, the remainder of the fiscal year. Congress is expected to go on its President’s Day recess next week, and several senators plan to depart Thursday night on overseas travel to the Munich Security Conference, leaving little time to reach agreement on another short-term extension. At this time, a broader appropriations bill is unlikely to be finalized by Thursday, Feb. 12.

Senate Democrats have said they would agree to a short-term extension, but only if they felt progress was being made in their current negotiations with Republican Senate and House leadership on DHS funding. At issue are changes and requirements demanded by Democrats to Immigration and Customs Enforcement before they agree to support continued funding for DHS. Republicans and some Democrats have pointed out that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act already funded DHS activities, and that the failure to pass an appropriations measure will more directly affect funding for other agencies at DHS, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration, and the U.S. Coast Guard.