The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s funding expired on Saturday (February 14th), and Democrats have stated that they will not approve new funding unless new restrictions are imposed on federal immigration actions. This means that the federal government will once again partially shut down.
Last month, two fatal shooting incidents occurred during law enforcement operations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), prompting negotiations between the White House and Democrats on restricting ICE enforcement. However, no agreement was reached by the end of this week, resulting in the suspension of funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Here are some key points about the partial shutdown of the DHS, as compiled by the Associated Press.
Last fall, the U.S. government experienced a record-breaking shutdown lasting 43 days. However, this shutdown is very limited in scope, affecting only agencies under the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), though not all are impacted. During the shutdown, some federal employees may experience a temporary halt in their pay.
While Democrats have called for reforms within ICE and CBP, the operations of these two agencies will remain largely unaffected and will continue. President Trump’s “2025 Tax and Spending Reduction Act” allocates around $75 billion for ICE and approximately $65 billion for CBP, which can be used for actions related to the repatriation of illegal immigrants.
If the government shutdown persists for several weeks, services such as airport security screenings may be impacted. About 95% of TSA employees hold essential positions and will continue conducting passenger and baggage screenings at commercial airports nationwide, but due to unresolved funding issues, they will be working without pay, leading many employees to take unpaid leave.
The Department of Homeland Security’s shutdown is a strategic move by President Trump to negotiate for more time on immigration enforcement reforms by acceding to Democratic demands to separate DHS funding from a larger spending package. While temporary funding for the Department of Homeland Security can only sustain operations until Friday, funding for other federal departments will continue until September 30th, meaning that most federal programs such as food assistance will remain unaffected, and employees and military personnel will receive their pay as scheduled.
Other agencies affected by the shutdown include the Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Most employees of the Secret Service and the U.S. Coast Guard will continue working, but payments may be temporarily halted during the shutdown.
For FEMA, the government shutdown will impact reimbursement of disaster relief expenses in various states, temporary layoffs for some employees, and coordination with state and local emergency response efforts. The National Disasters and Emergency Management University (NDEMU) in Maryland will also be affected in its emergency personnel training.
Federal agencies determine which employees are deemed essential or exempt during a shutdown, with both categories having similar implications. Essential employees, including military personnel, airport security officials, and law enforcement officers, will continue working during the shutdown but may not receive pay until funding is restored.
Of the over 270,000 employees hired by the Department of Homeland Security, the majority are considered essential personnel and will continue working during the government shutdown. During the shutdown last fall, over 258,000 employees of the Department of Homeland Security were designated as essential, with only about 22,000 (5%) forced to take furloughs.
Typically, a major concern during a government shutdown is the potential for flight delays due to understaffed air traffic controllers. However, this will not be an issue this time as air traffic controllers fall under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has already received funding for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Nevertheless, depending on the duration of the government shutdown, American citizens may notice extended airport security screening queues due to TSA employees (affiliated with the DHS) having to work without pay. Similar situations occurred during previous government shutdowns, and with prolonged shutdowns, absenteeism rates are likely to increase.
During the government shutdown, over 61,000 TSA employees at more than 430 commercial airports nationwide are required to remain on duty. In written testimony submitted this week to the House subcommittee, Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill stated that many employees are barely making ends meet relying on their paychecks.
“During the government shutdown, meeting financial obligations such as rent, bills, groceries, childcare, and transportation costs to work become extremely challenging, and as the shutdown continues, unplanned absences will increase,” she said. “Increased absences will lead to longer wait times at checkpoints, subsequently causing flight delays or cancellations, which will have a ripple effect on the U.S. economy.”