U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Department of Homeland SecurityThe agency has entered a partial shutdown after Congress failed to pass a spending bill to fund the agency. That triggered a Feb. 14 funding cutoff and an intensifying nationwide debate over the role of federal immigration agencies and how they operate.
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Why is the Department of Homeland Security facing closure?
The department’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, whose agents killed two U.S. citizens in a massive raid and mass protests in Minneapolis, was the source of the funding conflict.
After the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis last month, Democrats said they would not support approving further funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless new restrictions on federal immigration operations were imposed.
Democrats are calling for fewer patrols, a ban on the use of masks by ICE officers during operations and the requirement to obtain a court order before entering private property.
Democratic Party and White House Negotiations are ongoing between the two sides, but no agreement has been reached as of the end of the week. As a result, funding for the department was delayed, leading to a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
Read more: Will the government shut down tomorrow? This is what partial closure means
Who and what will be affected?
Compared with the historic 43-day shutdown that occurred last October, this shutdown will be strictly limited to agencies under the Department of Homeland Security.
The only organizations affected are those that fall under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and ice.
Thousands of government employees, from disaster relief workers to airport security personnel, will either be furloughed or asked to work without pay until Congress approves funding.
For example, approximately 95% of TSA employees are considered critical. At the country’s commercial airports, they will continue to scan passengers and their belongings. However, they will be working without pay until funding issues are resolved.
However, the 2025 tax cuts and spending cuts signed by President Donald Trump provide ICE and CBP with approximately $75 billion and $65 billion, respectively, that they can continue to use to deport Republicans. Therefore, ICE and CBP will continue to work without interruption.
