DHS Shutdown Forces Missed Paychecks as Immigration Standoff Deepens
Thousands of employees at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will miss their first paycheck Friday as the shutdown drags on, without an agreement near in Congress.
Democrats are demanding changes in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics, while Republicans are largely rejecting those, insisting the president’s immigration enforcement policy is working.
While some employees, like those working at ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will still be paid thanks to funds in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), others will miss out on either full or partial checks come payday. Those include about 42,000 Transportation Security Agency (TSA) screening officers, as well as employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Coast Guard civilian employees.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said the White House may have to step in to get workers paid, if a broader deal isn’t reached soon.
“If they can figure out a way to pay government employees, absolutely. These are people who have jobs and have commitments and have families,” said Senator Thune.
As of now, there are no formal meetings scheduled between Congressional leaders and President Trump to discuss ways to end the shutdown.
“We’ve heard crickets from them, nothing,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “They’re not negotiating. They’re just trying to pass paper back and forth with no real changes.”
And for his part, Senator Thune said that the talks are more “informal,” with the parties “just kind of going back and forth and trying to hit the landing spot.”
The effects of the shutdown are already being felt for both employees and the public.
DHS suspended its global entry program at U.S. airports. It also announced it was suspending TSA PreCheck before an outcry from lawmakers and the traveling public forced the agency to backtrack. FEMA has also suspended non-essential services, raising concerns about disaster preparedness during the funding lapse.
State of the Union
Meanwhile, President Trump spoke about some of the changes in immigration enforcement in his State of the Union Address.
The president said that the U.S. now has the “strongest and most secure border” in its history. However, President Trump said little about the ongoing DHS shutdown, except to blame it on Democrats and say that he is “demanding the full and immediate restoration of all funding for DHS.”