ISTANBUL

The US Senate unanimously passed a bill early Friday to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including provisions to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents following a weeks-long government shutdown.

The overnight vote came after a marathon session and hours after President Donald Trump said he would sign an order to ensure TSA personnel receive their pay after a 42-day funding lapse.

The shutdown left many TSA officers without pay since mid-March, contributing to staff shortages and major disruptions at airports nationwide, with security wait times reaching up to four hours in some cases.

The legislation funds most DHS operations but excludes controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement and removal operations as well as parts of Customs and Border Protection, reflecting ongoing political disagreements over immigration policy.

The agreement follows weeks of difficult bipartisan negotiations. While the Senate approved the measure unanimously, its future remains uncertain in the House. Both houses of Congress must pass the bill, and the president must sign it, for it to become law.