The Department of Homeland Security entered a partial government shutdown on Saturday after U.S. lawmakers failed to reach agreement on funding for the agency that spearheads President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement priorities.
Thousands of federal employees—from Transportation Security Administration screeners at airports to Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster response staff—now face furloughs or the prospect of working without pay until Congress approves new appropriations. The impasse marks the third shutdown-related disruption in Trump’s second term, following a record 43-day closure last fall and a brief four-day partial lapse earlier this month.
At the heart of the dispute lies Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens—Renee Good, a mother of three, and Alex Pretti, a nurse who supported military veterans—during large-scale raids and subsequent mass protests in Minneapolis last month.
Democrats have conditioned any new DHS funding on major operational changes, including restrictions on roving patrols, a ban on agents wearing face masks during enforcement actions, and a requirement for judicial warrants before entering private property. “Donald Trump and Republicans have decided that they have zero interest in getting ICE under control,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Friday. “Dramatic changes are needed. Absent that, Republicans have decided to shut down parts of the federal government.”
The White House has blamed Democrats for the crisis. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that “Democrats are barreling our government towards another shutdown for political and partisan reasons.”
Notably, ICE operations will continue largely uninterrupted, funded through prior-year appropriations, a point underscored by Senator John Fetterman, who stated: “This shutdown literally has zero impact on ICE.” The most immediate consequences are expected to fall on other DHS components, with the TSA warning on X of potential longer airport wait times and flight cancellations if the lapse persists.
Negotiations remain stalled, even as the Senate entered a week-long recess. While the White House has expressed willingness to discuss immigration policy adjustments, Senate Majority Leader John Thune described the offer as “an extremely serious” proposal but cautioned that Democrats “are never going to get their full wish list.”
Limited concessions have already been made, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s directive for Minneapolis agents to wear body cameras “effective immediately,” with plans for eventual nationwide rollout.
