Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Nine activists convicted on terrorism charges in Texas ICE protest case — Nine activists were convicted in Texas federal court on terrorism and related charges stemming from a March 2025 protest outside an ICE facility near Fort Worth. Eight were convicted of riot, explosives, and material support to terrorists; one (Benjamin Song) was convicted of attempted murder after shooting a police officer; a ninth was convicted for moving zines days after the protest. The Trump administration framed the verdict as vindication of its campaign against "antifa," though legal experts and the trial judge noted the charges had no organizational nexus and the terrorism label was legally irrelevant to the convictions.

Supporting reports

• Sen. Ron Johnson claimed Democrats conspired to get ICE protesters killed for political leverage. — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) alleged on Fox News that Democrats engaged in a conspiracy to cause deaths among ICE protesters for political advantage, claiming they "trained activists to obstruct justice, encouraged them to put themselves in harm's way" to create "martyrs" and justify defunding law enforcement. The statement followed fatal shootings of two American citizens by federal agents in January during immigration enforcement operations.

Supporting reports

• House approved two-month DHS spending stopgap; Senate vote uncertain. — The House approved a two-month stopgap spending plan for the Department of Homeland Security late Friday night. The bill heads to the Senate on Monday morning for a vote. A Republican senator is expected to seek unanimous consent to take up the bill, but if any senator objects, the House bill dies and the DHS shutdown continues. If the Senate blocks the bill, it is unlikely the shutdown will end until after both bodies return in mid-April following the Easter/Passover recess.
• Department of Homeland Security shutdown continued with TSA workers unpaid — The Department of Homeland Security shutdown continued, with TSA workers having gone weeks without pay. Back pay was beginning to arrive, allowing workers to afford food, gas, medication, and catch up on rent. Many TSA agents reported receiving only a fraction of what they were actually owed. The shutdown resulted from Trump and House Republicans refusing a bipartisan Senate bill that would have funded DHS except for ICE and Border Patrol, demanding additional funding for ICE instead.
• House and Senate Republicans publicly blamed each other for DHS shutdown impasse — During the 44-day DHS funding shutdown, House and Senate Republicans engaged in public recriminations over responsibility for the impasse. House Speaker Johnson rejected Senate Majority Leader Thune's negotiating approach, ensuring continued shutdown. Senate Republicans, led by Thune, attempted to negotiate with Senate Democrats while House Republicans maintained their position. Trump remained silent on the Senate proposal initially, then sided with House Republicans when rejection became clear, leaving House Republicans with ownership of the impasse.
• Senate Democrats rejected House Republican DHS funding proposal — Senate Democrats, through Schumer's office, rejected the House Republican DHS continuing resolution, stating they would not accept anything less than what was passed unanimously by the Senate. A Schumer spokesperson attributed the shutdown to Republican division and intransigence, stating that Johnson and House Republicans "needlessly extended this DHS shutdown" and that Republicans should not expect Senate Democrats to resolve Republican internal caucus problems.
• Trump endorses Republican plan to fund ICE and CBP via reconciliation — President Trump endorsed a plan by Republican leaders Mike Johnson and John Thune to pass the Senate's DHS compromise bill, then separately fund ICE and CBP through the budget reconciliation process, which bypasses the Senate filibuster. Trump also directed that the reconciliation measure be completed by June 1 and signaled it may include funding for Iran conflict operations and voter identification requirements from the Save America Act.
• Senate passes DHS funding bill excluding ICE and CBP — The Senate passed a compromise measure funding most of the Department of Homeland Security while excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and elements of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The deal emerged after weeks of deadlock between Democrats, who demanded guardrails on federal immigration enforcement agents, and Republicans. The measure represents a negotiated settlement but was rejected by House Republicans, who sought full DHS funding including ICE and CBP.
• Senate Republicans plan reconciliation bill to fund ICE and border enforcement outside Democratic reach — Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham initiated a budget resolution to fund ICE and immigration enforcement using the reconciliation procedure, which requires only Republican votes and cannot be filibustered by Democrats. This move circumvents Democratic demands for conduct reforms on immigration arrests, including mask-wearing bans and warrant requirements for residential entry. The reconciliation bill is also expected to include funding for conflict with Iran and voter identification requirements from the Save America Act.

Supporting reports

• Nine activists convicted on terrorism charges in Texas ICE protest case — Nine activists were convicted in Texas federal court on terrorism and related charges stemming from a March 2025 protest outside an ICE facility near Fort Worth. Eight were convicted of riot, explosives, and material support to terrorists; one (Benjamin Song) was convicted of attempted murder after shooting a police officer; a ninth was convicted for moving zines days after the protest. The Trump administration framed the verdict as vindication of its campaign against "antifa," though legal experts and the trial judge noted the charges had no organizational nexus and the terrorism label was legally irrelevant to the convictions.

Supporting reports

• FBI Director Kash Patel pressed to release decade-old investigative file on Rep. Eric Swalwell. — FBI Director Kash Patel directed agents in the San Francisco office to quickly redact and prepare for public release a decade-old investigative file involving Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and a suspected Chinese intelligence operative, despite no evidence of wrongdoing by Swalwell. The file concerns Christine Fang (Fang Fang), who courted Swalwell and other California politicians from 2011–2015. When FBI agents conveyed concerns about Fang to Swalwell around 2015, he cut off ties and cooperated with investigators. Swalwell was not accused of wrongdoing in the original investigation, and the Republican-led House Ethics Committee closed a two-year investigation in 2023 with no action. Patel has reassigned multiple agents to work on bringing a criminal case against Swalwell, a vocal Trump critic and leading Democratic candidate for California governor.
• Trump FBI director Kash Patel pushes for release of Eric Swalwell investigative records — FBI Director Kash Patel, under the Trump administration, is reportedly pushing to release records from a decade-old FBI investigation into Eric Swalwell's alleged links to a Chinese agent. Swalwell, a Democratic congressman and California gubernatorial candidate, was found cooperative and not suspected of wrongdoing. The move occurs as Swalwell gains traction in the governor's race. Democrats characterize the effort as weaponized retaliation against a political opponent. Swalwell's attorneys issued a cease-and-desist letter on Monday.

Supporting reports

• DHS agent shoots USC student with less-lethal projectile at No Kings march, causing permanent eye loss — On 28 March, Tucker Collins, 18, an 18-year-old USC freshman and photographer, was struck in the right eye by a "less-lethal" projectile fired by a Department of Homeland Security agent during a No Kings protest outside the Metropolitan detention center in downtown Los Angeles. The impact fractured the bones in his eye socket; the eye was subsequently surgically removed. Collins's attorney states he was documenting the protest, posed no threat, and was shot in violation of a September federal court injunction prohibiting DHS use of force against journalists and legal observers exercising First Amendment rights. DHS claims officers followed training and used minimum necessary force after seven warnings.

Supporting reports

• House Freedom Caucus blocked Senate DHS measure — Members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus opposed the Senate's DHS funding measure, apparently because they wanted more money for ICE and Border Patrol, inclusion of the SAVE Act, and Trump's approval. House Speaker Mike Johnson, dependent on the far-right caucus to maintain his speakership, refused to bring the Senate measure to a vote despite knowing it could pass with Democratic votes and most Republican votes.
• House Republicans reject Senate funding measure — House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that House Republicans would not pass the Senate's funding measure for DHS, which excludes additional funding for ICE and Border Patrol. Instead, he indicated a preference for a 60-day continuing resolution to maintain current funding levels.
• Speaker Johnson announced 60-day continuing resolution instead of Senate bill — House Speaker Mike Johnson announced he would refuse to pass the Senate's DHS funding measure and instead direct the House to pass a 60-day continuing resolution to fund DHS at current levels. This action left TSA agents facing two more weeks without paychecks while the Senate was on recess. Johnson stated the Senate "went dark and did not communicate with us," despite the Senate having just passed and departed after voting on the measure.
• House Republicans reject Senate-passed DHS funding bill — House Republicans rejected a Senate-passed bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, including FEMA and the Coast Guard, but excluding ICE and border patrol. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the bill a "gambit," and Majority Leader Steve Scalise claimed it defunded 25% of DHS operations at a time of heightened threat level. The House had previously sent a short-term alternative bill, but the impasse over ICE operations remained unresolved as Congress entered spring recess.
• House Speaker Johnson rejected Senate DHS funding bill and adjourned House — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) rejected the Senate's plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security without appropriations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Bowing to pressure from far-right House Republicans, Johnson called the Senate bill "a joke" and sent House members home until April 13 without a vote. Johnson announced he would bring the bill forward with Democratic support and attempt to fund ICE and CBP through budget reconciliation, which does not require Democratic votes.
• House Republicans reject Senate DHS compromise, extend partial shutdown — The US House of Representatives declined to vote on a Senate-passed compromise bill funding most of the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday, April 3, despite Republican leaders Mike Johnson and John Thune agreeing to advance it. The partial DHS shutdown, ongoing since mid-February, has become the longest in US history. House Republicans instead passed their own 60-day funding measure that includes ICE and CBP, which Senate Democrats blocked via filibuster. The impasse reflects internal Republican divisions over separating ICE/CBP funding from broader DHS appropriations.

Supporting reports

• House Republicans passed DHS appropriations with ICE and CBP funding — The House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security for 2026, including full funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The measure was sent to the Senate with a simple Republican majority vote. This action initiated a funding dispute that would dominate legislative activity for weeks, as Senate Democrats used the filibuster to block passage without reforms to ICE and Border Patrol operations.

Supporting reports

• Trump signs executive order directing DHS to immediately pay TSA agents during partial shutdown — President Trump signed an executive order on Friday, March 28, 2026, instructing the Department of Homeland Security to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration agents who had gone without pay for over 42 days due to a partial government shutdown. The order came after House Republicans rejected a Senate-passed funding deal for key DHS subagencies. Trump blamed Democrats for prioritizing "criminal illegal aliens" over American citizens. DHS confirmed TSA began paying its workforce immediately, with officers potentially receiving paychecks by March 30. The shutdown had caused nationwide staffing shortages, record airport wait times, and nearly 500 TSA resignations.
• Trump signs presidential memorandum directing DHS to pay TSA employees from available funds — Trump signed a presidential memorandum late Friday, March 28, directing DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to restore pay to TSA employees who had missed two paychecks. The memo instructed the secretary to redirect funds "that have a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations" to cover accrued pay and benefits. White House border czar Tom Homan stated the measure was "a start" but acknowledged thousands of other DHS employees remained unpaid and that ICE deployment at airports would continue pending TSA staffing recovery.
• Trump announces emergency order to pay TSA agents — President Trump announced he would sign an emergency order to pay TSA agents who have gone unpaid for over a month, although the legality and source of the funding remain unclear. This announcement came amid growing airport congestion and dissatisfaction with the handling of TSA funding.
• Trump issued executive order to pay TSA employees during 44-day DHS funding impasse — During a record-breaking 44-day Department of Homeland Security funding impasse, Trump issued an executive order to authorize payment of TSA employees. The shutdown resulted from Republican infighting between the House and Senate over DHS funding, with House Republicans rejecting a Senate proposal. House Speaker Johnson sided with House Republicans against Senate Majority Leader Thune's approach. TSA agents reported receiving only partial paychecks despite the executive order authorization.
• Trump declared national emergency to pay TSA officers during DHS shutdown — The White House issued a fact sheet stating that President Trump declared a national emergency to authorize payment of TSA officers who had gone unpaid during a Department of Homeland Security shutdown. The document claims Trump also deployed ICE officers to major airports to assist with crowd control and security. The fact sheet cites media reports indicating that TSA wait times improved after workers received back pay and absenteeism declined.
• Trump signs executive order directing TSA back pay during DHS partial shutdown — Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Transportation Security Administration to pay employees back pay during an ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. TSA employees received retroactive paychecks covering at least two full pay periods on Monday. The order instructed DHS to use funds with "reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations" to cover salaries. Airport security lines reportedly shortened following the payment. Congress remains deadlocked over DHS funding, with Democrats and Republicans disagreeing over guardrails on immigration enforcement operations.

Supporting reports

• Trump deployed ICE agents to fourteen airports without security training — As TSA agents went unpaid for over a month and airport lines grew longer, President Trump deployed ICE agents to fourteen airports in eleven cities to relieve congestion. The ICE agents lacked training for security checkpoint operations and were ineffective at reducing delays. The deployment appeared designed to pressure Democrats into capitulating on funding demands, but instead highlighted the contrast of ICE agents collecting paychecks while TSA agents worked without pay, ultimately pressuring Trump rather than Democrats.