Democrats are demanding that ICE agents wear cameras, identify themselves and operate without masks. Republicans and the White House have been willing to negotiate on some points, but a final agreement remains elusive.

Tens of thousands of other DHS staffers — including Federal Emergency Management Agency workers, civilians in the US Coast Guard, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency employees — are still reporting for work without being compensated.

The deal, which the Senate approved unanimously without a roll call, next goes to the House, which could consider it Friday, though Speaker Mike Johnson said he would need to meet with his fellow Republicans first.

Democrats have been refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security as they demand changes to rein in Trump’s immigration enforcement operations.

ravel disruptions deepened Tuesday as senators raced to salvage an emerging proposal to end the Homeland Security shutdown by funding much of the department but excluding immigration operations.

Routine funding for the Department of Homeland Security has lapsed since Feb. 14, leading to long waits at U.S. airports as Transportation Security Administration agents call out rather than work without pay.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said his office was monitoring the deployment of federal officers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

The Illinois congressional delegation could be getting a new look. Four members either are retiring or left to run for higher office, opening up the opportunity to usher in a new generation of leaders.

The intense race has drawn tens of millions of dollars spent by outside groups on television, mail and online advertisements, with most coming from pro-Israel, pro-artificial intelligence development, pro-cryptocurrency and pro-cloud data center interests.

With a little more than a week until the March 17 election, the debate hosted by WTTW News’ “Chicago Tonight” was the first after President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran that has already killed seven members of the U.S. military.

The war powers resolution gave lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The vote forced them to take a stand on a war shaping the fate of U.S. military members, countless other lives and the future of the region.

While presidents have the authority as the commander in chief to conduct certain strategic military operations on their own, the Constitution vests Congress with the power to wage war.

President Donald Trump has delivered the State of the Union. Now the challenge for him is to make that message stick.

Several Democratic members of the Illinois congressional delegation have announced they would not attend the speech, citing their disapproval of the president.

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office said it received a request from the family to have Jackson’s remains lie in honor at the Capitol, but the request was denied, because of the precedent that the space is typically reserved for former presidents, the military and select officials.

Lawmakers continue to negotiate U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding, which Democrats are holding up over proposed reforms to immigration enforcement efforts.