DHS Enters Third Shutdown in Three Months Amid Congressional Gridlock
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is shut down, with DHS personnel dealing with the third shutdown in about three months.
Funding ran out on Friday, February 13, and the department went into shutdown operations on Saturday morning.
More than 90 percent of the 260,000 strong DHS workforce is deemed essential with workers reporting for work during the shutdown. Some will not get paid until the shutdown is resolved. Others, like employees at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are expected to be paid on time due to funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
There is no end in sight with Congress off this entire week and not returning until February 23. Sharp differences between Democrats and Republicans remain on immigration enforcement policy.
Democrats want officers to clearly identify themselves, remove masks during operations, display unique ID numbers, and a tightening of warrant requirements. Republicans say they’ve already made concessions such as funding for body cameras and de-escalation measures.
Employee Impact
As Congress remains stalled, DHS workers are dealing with yet another shutdown.
Some DHS components, like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), are already warning about the impact on workers.
"Some are just now recovering from the financial impact of the 43-day shutdown (in fall 2025)," said Ha Nguyen McNeill, a senior official performing the duties of TSA administrator at a recent congressional hearing. "Many are still reeling from it."
Aviation groups are warning that the longer the shutdown lasts, the longer security lines at the nation’s airports could get.
Meanwhile, work continues at the vast majority of other DHS agencies including the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
However, FEMA’s ability to reimburse states for disaster relief costs is affected as is training for first responders at the National Disaster and Emergency Management University in Maryland.