DHS Shutdown Continues Because Removing Kristi Noem Is Just Starting the Problem
KEY POINTS
- •Top Democrats declared Kristi Noem’s March 5 DHS exit doesn’t solve funding issues due to broader policy concerns.
- •Democrats outlined 10 immigration enforcement reforms including banning mask wear and ID requirements for ICE agents.
- •Senate failed a bill 51-45 to end filibuster and fund DHS, with leaders calling for White House involvement.
On March 5, 2026, House and Senate Democrats made clear that Kristi Noem's surprise exit from Homeland Security wasn’t clearing the bar for DHS funding. The agency’s been ghosting paychecks and productivity for nearly three weeks, with negotiations stuck in a political Groundhog Day. Hakeem Jeffries wagged his finger, saying 'personnel change ain't policy change,' while Chuck Schumer cast the DHS’s issues as ‘deep rot,’ suggesting the president might need a vasectomy on ICE’s power trip. Meanwhile, Dems drafted a Hall of Shame style 10-point reform plan banning ICE’s mask games, forcing ID badges, and outlawing raid creep into schools and churches. Cory Booker called Noem ‘one of the worst leaders’ but warned the agency still acts like a reckless teenager with a new car. The Senate’s latest vote was 51-45 for DHS funding, still 9 votes shy of the 60 needed to stop filibusters—a political version of limbo that would impress any toddler. Jeffries called Noem a mere 'lackey' who didn’t negotiate anything, promising more White House hotline calls in the future instead of miracles.
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(1 of 3)Removing Kristi Noem was just switching the dart thrower at a carnival game rigged to fail. DHS funding talks now require 10 new fairy tales and a little magic dust, none of which congress seems to have in stock.
DHS shutdown: where the band leaves the stage, but the music keeps not playing because no one learned any new songs.
Congress trying to fund DHS after Noem’s exit is like rebooting a broken app and hoping it suddenly stops crashing.
Source: Axios | Published: 3/5/2026 | Author: Andrew Solender
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