The Department of Homeland Security is set to halt non-essential operations at midnight after Congress failed to reach an agreement on a funding bill before Friday’s deadline. The stalemate follows a breakdown in negotiations between House Republicans and Democrats over specific oversight measures and immigration policy.
Democratic lawmakers had conditioned their support on new restrictions regarding federal law enforcement conduct. These demands included requirements for judicial warrants, stricter use-of-force standards, and improved officer identification.
The push for reform followed the recent fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. Additionally, Democrats sought to end the detention of individuals without prior citizenship verification and called for a prohibition on searches based on race, language, or occupation.
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Despite the lapse in new funding, the immediate impact on national security will be mitigated by existing legal frameworks and prior legislation. Under the DHS 2025 lapse plan, “exempt” personnel—those responsible for the safety of human life or the protection of property—must continue to work. This includes roughly 92% of the DHS workforce, or approximately 249,065 out of 271,927 employees. While these federal workers will not receive paychecks during the shutdown, they are guaranteed backpay once a budget is passed.
A major factor in this shutdown is the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed last year. This legislation provided a $165 billion infusion for immigration enforcement, including $75 billion for ICE and $65 billion for CBP. Because these funds were previously appropriated, the administration’s current immigration operations are expected to continue without interruption, regardless of the current budget gap.
Travelers may not notice immediate changes over the Presidents Day holiday weekend, but long-term effects remain a concern. While Air Traffic Control is funded through the Department of Transportation and remains unaffected, TSA agents fall under DHS. If the shutdown persists, staffing levels at airport security checkpoints could drop as employees face financial strain, potentially leading to longer wait times.
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Other critical functions will remain operational:
- Secret Service: Protective details for the President and Vice President will continue without pause.
- Coast Guard: Search and rescue missions remain active, though elective training and administrative tasks will be suspended.
- Counterterrorism: Intelligence gathering and surveillance operations are classified as essential and will proceed.
- FEMA: Disaster response will continue, though Associate Director Gregg Phillips warned Congress that furloughs would “severely disrupt” the agency’s ability to reimburse states for recovery costs.
The shutdown affects roughly 13% of the total federal civilian workforce. While essential law enforcement duties are protected, administrative and support staff face immediate furloughs until Congress can break the impasse.
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