The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has officially shut down after Congress failed to agree on a deal before the end of Friday and funding lapsed at midnight.
Democrats are working on a counterproposal as negotiations over federal immigration enforcement continue, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. They have demanded increased oversight and restrictions on immigration enforcement in exchange for the votes to pass the funding bill.
But President Donald Trump didn’t sound optimistic about a deal, telling reporters that “we’ll see what happens.” He also said that they’ve “gone crazy” but “we’re talking.”
Here’s what the shutdown means:
A large number of agencies fall under DHS, including:
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US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
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US Coast Guard (USCG)
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US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
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Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
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US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
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Transportation Security Agency (TSA)
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US Secret Service (USSS)
Nearly all DHS workers will remain on the job in the case of a shutdown — even if many won’t get paid until the lapse ends.
Typically, a pain point during a shutdown is the snarling of flights due to staffing issues among air traffic controllers. That won’t be an issue in this case, because controllers are part of the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration.
However, depending on the length of the shutdown, Americans may notice longer lines at airport security checkpoints since TSA workers would have to work without pay. This has happened during prior impasses as employee absences increase as shutdowns drag on.
What does the shutdown mean for ICE and CBP?
Overall, more than 90% of DHS’ 272,000 employees will continue working during a lapse, according to the agency’s September shutdown plan covering the first five days of an impasse. More than 93% of ICE and CBP workers will remain on the job.
All other areas of the federal government, including national parks and the Internal Revenue Service, will remain open since they have been funded for the rest of the fiscal year.
