Hopes for a resolution to the Washington standoff over DHS funding and the possible reopening of the Transportation Security Administration dimmed Tuesday, as bipartisan criticism of the plan reined in its apparent momentum.
One compromise/ reform that could end the standoff of DHS funding: ICE agents henceforth won’t wear masks in any situation where other law enforcement officers don’t wear masks, courthouses, the streets of our cites, etc.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 24, 2026
Masks are reserved for the lawless zone along the… https://t.co/i2OtoV3ISX
Conservative lawmakers worried the proposal to set ICE funding aside would amount to a cut for the controversial agency. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders continue to demand reforms to ICE and Customs and Border Protection, such as requiring federal immigration officers to obtain judicial warrants and barring federal agents from wearing masks.
On that second sticking point, Sen. Rand Paul suggested a potential compromise. Paul's plan would require ICE agents to remove masks when working on the streets, in courthouses, and other areas where it's not the practice of local law enforcement.
"I think in our cities and areas where the other police officers aren't masked, there's no reason why one set of federal officials should be masked and another set shouldn't be," he said. "I won't say it's an absolute... (but ) anonymity leads to bad behavior."
Paul's exception to the no mask rule: what he called "lawless zones along the border where cartels dominate."
Whether the idea has legs on Capitol Hill is an open question.
For now, the TSA — which is part of DHS — remains shuttered, causing airports to scramble to stay staffed while travelers deal with long lines and delays.