DHS funding lapse sparks partial shutdown as Congress heads into 10-day recess

WASHINGTON, DC: A limited US government shutdown took effect on Saturday, February 14, after the White House and congressional Democrats failed to reach an agreement on new restrictions for federal immigration agents.

The funding lapse affects agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and impacts roughly 13% of the federal civilian workforce.

Lawmakers have since left Washington for a scheduled 10-day break, making a near-term resolution unlikely. Republican leaders said negotiations would continue and members could be called back if an agreement is reached.

Immigration Dispute Drives DHS Funding Lapse

The shutdown is limited to DHS operations and does not extend across the entire federal government. Activities at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations are expected to continue because those agencies were funded under a previous budget measure.

However, other DHS functions may face constraints if the shutdown persists. 

Travelers at the airport may face longer screening times as TSA employees operate without new funding. Additionally, disaster response and some administrative tasks could be impacted over time, although officials have stated that widespread disruptions are not anticipated immediately. 

At the center of the impasse are Democratic demands for changes to immigration enforcement policies following the fatal shootings of two Minneapolis residents last month during encounters with federal immigration agents. Democrats are seeking requirements that agents conduct operations without face masks and obtain judicial warrants before making home arrests. Republicans have largely rejected those proposals.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson for adjourning Congress rather than continuing negotiations. “We’ve drawn a hard line in the sand on behalf of the American people, and we’re not going to allow the Congress to cross it,” Jeffries told reporters Friday. “ICE needs to be dramatically reformed. Period. Full stop.” In November, a separate dispute led to a broader government shutdown that lasted 43 days, the longest in US history.

Party Leaders Trade Blame as Talks Continue

After Democrats rejected a White House proposal earlier in the week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the offer “not serious, plain and simple.” Schumer then posted a video on X on Friday, February 13, showing federal immigration agents using force during enforcement operations. “This is why Democrats voted NO on more funding for ICE. And we will continue to do so until ICE is reined in and the violence ends,” he wrote.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune accused Democrats of prolonging the standoff. “What it appears to me, at least at this point, is that the Democrats, like they did last fall, they really don’t want the solution. They don’t want the answer. They want the political issue,” Thune said.  

Trump said on Friday, February 13, that discussions were ongoing but defended federal agents. “We’re talking, but we have to protect law enforcement. I know what they want, I know what they can live with. The Democrats have gone crazy,” Trump said.