Consequences of Potential Government Shutdown to Department of Homeland Security

Here we go again? A partial government shutdown has begun to impact the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). How will this affect the agency's work in the days and weeks ahead, and why is this department being targeted? Read on for all of the details.

Fate of DHS Funding Now in the Hands of the Senate

DHS is caught up in the partial government shutdown because Congress failed to vote to fund the controversial agency. DHS is the last federal department that does not have the necessary funding to operate through September 30, the last day of the government's fiscal year. Congress has passed a series of spending bills to support the rest of the government since it ended the historic shutdown last fall.

However, the most recent package that was passed at the end of January only provided funding for DHS for two weeks. This two-week period was designed to give Congress additional time to discuss proposed reforms for the immigration enforcement arm of the agency. Democrats in the Senate began pushing for the reforms following the fatal shootings of two American citizens by ICE agents in Minneapolis earlier in the year.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune warned on Wednesday that another short-term funding bill would be needed to provide the resources for DHS to remain operational. On the other side of the aisle, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has not signaled how his party will move forward.

It is not surprising that DHS is the last agency to receive a funding extension. The shooting deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in January sparked widespread political unrest around the country. The public outcry encouraged Democrats to tie reforms to DHS to the spending package.

For instance, Senate Democrats want to restrict the use of roving patrols, require ICE agents to remove their face masks and wear body cameras, and make it more difficult for agents to obtain search warrants. GOP leaders are largely against all of these changes, asking for Democrats to compromise by cracking down on sanctuary cities.

How Will a DHS Shutdown Impact ICE and CBP?

GOP lawmakers have stated that most ICE operations would remain unchanged in a potential shutdown. Leaders have also contended that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would remain fully operational. According to the DHS shutdown plan submitted in September, over 90% of its 272,000 employees would continue working during a shutdown. This includes over 93% of the specific ICE and CBP workers.

The DHS shutdown plan indicates that roughly 44,500 of these workers would continue to be paid during the negotiation process. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed last fall that about 70,000 workers in ICE, CBP, and other divisions would still receive paychecks. This is because the agency has plenty of monetary resources to draw on in the event of a shutdown.

Last summer's One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocated $165 billion to DHS. Of this money, $75 billion was earmarked for ICE. CBP received $64 billion from the landmark piece of legislation. This gives Noem substantial freedom to move money around as she deems necessary.

What About Other Agencies Under the Direction of DHS?

For the everyday American, the potential DHS shutdown is not likely to be noticeable. For example, most Americans might notice the imapcts of a shortage of air traffic controllers snarling travel during a typical shutdown. However, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are not under the umbrella of DHS.

That said, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers do indeed fall under the direction of DHS. This could translate to longer security lines at airports as employees call out sick if they have to work without pay.

DHS also directs a number of other divisions, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and more. A majority of the DHS workers are considered essential, as their work is deemed necessary to protect life and property. This includes cargo inspections at points of entry, work related to immigration, and Disaster Relief Fund activities.

The good news heading into the spring severe weather season is that FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund is reportedly well-funded. However, it is important to note that many government reports are behind schedule due to the lasting impacts of the last shutdown. This means that the numbers are not entirely exact.

Other agencies that Americans depend on, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), will not be impacted by this potential government shutdown.

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