A partial shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security that began on February 14 has pushed some workers, including many Transportation Security Administration screeners, toward missed or partial pay as the White House and Senate Democrats remain deadlocked over proposed limits on federal immigration-enforcement tactics.
The Department of Homeland Security has been operating under a funding lapse since February 14, 2026, after DHS funding was peeled away from a broader spending measure amid rising tensions over a federal immigration-enforcement incident in Minneapolis. The lapse has left large parts of the department functioning under shutdown rules, with many employees still reporting to work.
On the Senate floor Thursday, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) blamed Democrats for the impasse, saying they had presented “a laundry list of demands” tied to any agreement to restore DHS funding. Barrasso said “260,000” people were “working without pay,” argued that Democrats had “shut down” DHS by withholding support for funding, and said Republicans had offered “fair terms for a deal.”
A White House official, speaking on background Friday, said negotiations were continuing and that counteroffers had recently been exchanged. The official said the White House had made “another serious counteroffer” on Thursday and urged Democrats to act to end the shutdown, warning that longer delays could harm services such as disaster relief.
Democrats have sought changes to how federal immigration authorities operate, including limits on agents wearing masks and requirements tied to warrants, as conditions for supporting DHS funding. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said earlier this month that “ICE needs to be reined in,” while Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) criticized DHS’s decision to pause parts of the Global Entry program during the shutdown, calling it a “bullying tactic” and arguing the administration was “choosing to inflict pain on the public” rather than accept reforms.
The shutdown has also affected other DHS components, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that “significant portions” of FEMA staff had been placed on administrative leave. In a post on X, Noem said the prolonged lapse would leave the country less prepared for security threats surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup and America 250, the planned commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
At airports, most TSA screeners are classified as essential personnel and must continue working during a shutdown, even if pay is delayed. The Associated Press has reported that TSA workers were working without pay as the DHS-only shutdown began, raising concerns that prolonged disruptions could lead to increased absenteeism and longer security lines.
While the funding fight centers on DHS appropriations, some immigration functions are supported by other funding streams. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act—signed into law on July 4, 2025 as Public Law 119-21—included major new border-enforcement and immigration-related funding, and DHS and outside reporting have described immigration agencies as less reliant than other DHS components on annual appropriations alone.
