President Donald Trump is demanding that any deal with Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security includes an agreement on requiring photo identification and proof of citizenship in federal elections
The demand merges two battles that Congress has failed to resolve.
“I don’t think we should make any deal with the Crazy, Country Destroying, Radical Left Democrats unless, and until, they Vote with Republicans to pass ‘THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday night.
“In other words, lump everything together as one, and VOTE!!! Kill the Filibuster, and stay in D.C. for Easter, if necessary.”
The SAVE America Act, if signed into law, would require photo identification and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.
Trump has called for the bill to include restrictions on transgender procedures for minors, transgender participation in women’s sports, and mail-in ballots.
The Senate is currently holding a protracted debate on the bill, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., seeks to force Democrats on the record in opposition.
No Senate Democrats have come out in support of the SAVE America Act, which Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has described as “a voter suppression bill.”
The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down since Feb. 14 due to Democrats’ refusal to fully fund the agency.
However, two agencies within DHS—Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection—have access to funding from a July 2025 party line budget bill.
Democrats have demanded restraints on immigration law enforcement, such as prohibiting the use of masks and requiring judicial warrants for entering homes.
The White House has been in dialogue with Senate Democrats since February, and has overseen major changes at the agency, such as nominating Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as a replacement for outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
However, there have been few signs of progress in reopening the agency, as the strain increases on major DHS responsibilities such as the Transportation Security Administration. More than 10% of TSA staffers were reported absent over the weekend, contributing to long lines at airports across the country.
