Department of Homeland Security is Facing A Partial Shut Down

Funding for the Department of Homeland Security has expired, and Congress is in a gridlock over a proposal to restore it. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one of the largest federal agencies in the U.S., and it oversees many other agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. These agencies perform functions in immigration enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Specifically, America’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been under massive public scrutiny and pressure. ICE’s shooting of Renee Good, Alex J Pretti and innocent civilians has sparked national outrage surrounding the Trump Administration's ICE crackdown. 

While the Republicans control the House, Senate and White House, the Democrats have decided to take a stance against the Trump Administration. In order for the DHS to receive the necessary funding, the Senate needs 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. Thus, even if all 53 Republicans vote in favor of the funding bill, without some level of support from the Democrats, the DHS will remain in a partial shutdown. However, the Democrats do not seem to be backing down. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has explicitly called ICE a “rogue agency” and has told CNN reporters, “Why don’t we rein them in? That’s what the American people are asking Republicans.” Democrats have made a multitude of demands in order to limit the powers of ICE. Such demands include a ban on immigration agents wearing face masks, requirements to prominently display identification numbers and mandated body cameras to increase accountability.

Despite the lack of funding, DHS leaders have confirmed work will not stop. Nearly 85% of FEMA workers are expected to continue working without payment through the shutdown. Around 95% of the TSA’s roughly 60,000 employees are required to work as well. This is similar to the government shutdown during October and November 2025, when law enforcement, border security, air traffic controllers and medical staff at VA hospitals had to work without pay. While there were minimal disruptions at first, as the government shutdown prolonged, delays increased. If the DHS does not procure funding quickly, a similar scenario could unfold. 

In fact, the DHS had an announcement recently announced the Global Entry Program would be paused as a result of the shutdown. The Global Entry Program is a program that allows pre-approved, international travelers deemed to be low-risk to bypass traditional, lengthy customs lines when entering the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem stated this move was “making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions” and prioritizing the “general traveling population” at airports and points of entry.

As the shutdown continues, some Republicans have expressed hesitancy. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) stated, “If the Department of Homeland Security is defunded, the pain will extend throughout the country.” While the current DHS shutdown may not be as intense as the shutdown from last fall, it still has the potential to impact millions and prompt lawmakers to take action swiftly. 

Read more here:

• Rebecca Schneid, Time

• Donald J. Mihalek, Police1

• Amna Nawaz, PBS