Johnson told reporters Sunday that lawmakers are unlikely to move quickly on the House floor to end the partial shutdown that began over the weekend, setting up a fight over timing as well as immigration enforcement policy.
Johnson said it would be “a few days” before a funding package comes up for a vote, a timeline that all but ensures the shutdown will extend into the week while Republicans and Democrats debate limits on the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations, particularly those carried out by ICE and the broader Department of Homeland Security.
Johnson said he is counting on Trump to help keep the package moving. He told Fox News Sunday that “The president is leading this,” adding, “It’s his play call to do it this way,” and said the Republican president had “already conceded that he wants to turn down the volume” on federal immigration operations.
The funding approach, as described by Johnson, follows a Senate deal that separated Homeland Security funding from a broader package after public outrage over two shooting deaths during protests in Minneapolis against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Senate approved a measure to fund DHS temporarily for two weeks, creating a deadline for Congress to debate and vote on new restrictions on ICE operations.
Johnson faces what he called a procedural challenge in the House while Democrats refuse what he characterized as speedy passage. Democrats are demanding restraints on ICE that extend beyond funding for body cameras already included in the bill, and they are pressing to require agents to unmask and identify themselves and to end what Johnson described as roving patrols as part of other changes.
In interviews on Sunday, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said the administration needs to begin negotiations immediately, not after the two-week DHS funding period. Jeffries said “Masks should come off” and that “Judicial warrants should absolutely be required consistent with the Constitution” before DHS or ICE agents break into homes or pull people from their cars.
Johnson said Democrats’ demands would shape the sequence of House votes, starting with committee proceedings on Monday and potentially pushing a full House floor vote to at least Tuesday, while House Democrats planned a private caucus call Sunday evening to map next steps.
Beyond DHS, the shutdown standoff also left other agencies operating under shutdown guidance. The administration listed areas including Defense, health, transportation and housing, while Johnson said many operations are considered essential and services are not necessarily interrupted; however, workers could go without pay if the impasse lasts and some could be furloughed.
Johnson also described the administration’s view that an end to the shutdown can be resolved more quickly than in prior government funding battles. He said he was in the Oval Office last week when Trump and border czar Tom Homan spoke with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to work out the DHS-separate deal, and Johnson said he expects agreement could focus on areas such as body cameras and an end to roving patrols.
But Johnson argued that requiring unmasking and naming could lead to safety issues for law enforcement. He said on Fox he does not think the president would approve the idea and said it “shouldn’t,” arguing that personal information posted online and targeting by protesters could complicate enforcement operations.
Democrats said the situation requires restraint now, describing ICE operations as unsafe and out of control. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who led efforts to push for more changes, said on Fox News Sunday that “What is happening in Minnesota right now is a dystopia,” and he said “ICE is making this country less safe, not more safe today.”
Murphy and Jeffries both tied the urgency to what they portrayed as ongoing enforcement actions in Minneapolis and other cities, while Johnson framed the House timeline as dependent on procedural steps and on Trump’s role in advancing the DHS funding plan.