March 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate passed legislation early on Friday approving a funding package for most of the Department of Homeland Security, except for ICE and part of Customs and Border Protection, several media outlets reported on Friday.
The agreement would fund other DHS components, such as the Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Coast Guard, but the House of Representatives will still need to act before funded agencies within the department can reopen, CNN reported.
The Senate
approved the funding package by a voice vote in a rare overnight session, the report added.
Majority Leader John Thune could not be immediately reached for comment outside regular business hours.
HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT UNFUNDED SINCE MID FEBRUARY
President Donald Trump said on Thursday before the deal was reached he would take executive action to pay 50,000 airport security workers.
Trump said on Sunday his fellow Republicans should not reach an agreement on funding the department until Democrats in Congress approve a bill that requires people registering to vote to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, known as the Save America Act.
He cited Democratic lawmakers' demands related to a dispute over DHS funding that has left the agency unfunded since February 13.
Democrats in Congress have held up funding for DHS while demanding a change in rules governing its immigration operations, after agents in Minneapolis shot and killed U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
In an attempt to ramp up pressure on Democrats, Trump this weekend said he would put ICE agents in airports until Democratic lawmakers agree to a DHS budget bill.
The lack of funds has meant tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration personnel have worked without pay for five weeks, leading some airport security workers to call in sick or quit entirely.
TSA absences last weekend reached their highest level since the partial government shutdown began, DHS said on Sunday.
(Reporting by Anusha Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonali Paul and Jan Harvey)
