President Donald Trump signed bipartisan legislation Thursday to fund key Department of Homeland Security agencies, officially ending the longest shutdown in the department's history after weeks of pressure from the White House,

The Senate took the first steps in a new effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security early Thursday, voting to adopt a budget plan that would fund ICE and Border Patrol over Democratic objections and sending it to the House.

The Senate took the first steps in a new effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security early Thursday, voting to adopt a budget plan that would fund ICE and Border Patrol over Democratic objections and sending it to the House.

WASHINGTON >> U.S. Senate Republicans voted on Thursday to advance a $70 billion plan to fund the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agencies for the next three years, ignoring demands from Democrats for guardrails on immigration enforcement agents and their operations.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said during a late-night debate on a $70 billion border funding package that no one respects Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol under President Donald Trump.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted with her fellow Republicans, while independent Sen. Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, voted against the plan.

The vote resolved a political showdown that has plagued Capitol Hill and the country for about 75 days. The ordeal, which exposed fierce acrimony between House and Senate Republicans, left thousands of workers without pay,