Defend DHS
More than two months.
That’s how long the United States went without funding one of its most critical institutions: the Department of Homeland Security. For 75 days, tens of thousands of government employees were forced to survive the uncertainty of a shutdown. Many worked without pay. Others knew their paychecks could stop at any moment.
This is not the reality Americans should have to live in.
DHS is not symbolic. It’s not a political bone to fight over. It is the backbone of our domestic security. Whether it’s the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening passengers at airports, Customs and Border Protection securing our borders, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement arresting offenders, when DHS is weakened, every layer of American security is strained.
Despite rising threats at home and abroad, Democrats in Congress chose to block funding more than a dozen times. This is a direct attack not just on our borders, but on the 260,000 citizens and their families looking to get by. With every vote to deny workers a paycheck, Democrats chose to prioritize their pride over We the People.
“I would say no today, I would say no yesterday, I would say no tomorrow.”
– Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)
America faces simmering tensions in the Middle East, with multiple adversaries happy to probe any weakness. At home, people faced hours-long airport security lines. A porous southern border during the previous administration allowed millions to enter our country with no knowledge of who they were.
Those who maintained the shutdown claimed it was to create leverage or policy concessions. But months later, their policy priorities remain unaccomplished. There is a line between negotiation and negligence, and dozens of Democrats crossed that threshold. Refusing to fund DHS is not a signal of strength, but of national vulnerability. It tells the enemy that America’s divisions are exploitable, and tells our heroes they’re expendable.
“You’re here, adding $140 billion to an agency that nobody- to two groups – Border Patrol and ICE – that nobody respects in this country.”
– Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
While Democrats might not have understood what’s at stake, the American people do. Polling shows strong concern about border security, with 87% of voters describing it as a crisis or major problem. Congress has the mandate to secure the homeland, and thankfully Republicans understood the call. Without them, these American public servants would have remained unpaid and unheard.
President Trump has made these priorities central to his leadership. By advocating for border enforcement, national sovereignty, and deterrence-first strategies, DHS is at its strongest in years. But, even the robust executive cannot compensate for a legislature unwilling to meet its most basic responsibility: keeping Americans safe.
This debate was never about budgets. It is about priorities. Some members of Congress have turned their back on America, while TSA continues to work long hours, Border Patrol confronts violent criminals, and Secret Service risks their lives. They should not be asked to do their jobs while wondering if their paychecks will arrive.
The Lafayette Partnership recognizes that American exceptionalism is not self-sustaining. It is rooted in strong institutions, constitutional governance, and a commitment to the safety and freedom of our citizens. The law enforcement and public servants at DHS embody that commitment, and we are grateful to congressional Republicans for recognizing theirs.
National security delayed is national security denied, and the cost of failure is far too high.