Funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expired Saturday, beginning another shutdown fight that is centered on immigration enforcement. The White House negotiated with Democrats but did not reach a deal by the end of the week, leaving DHS without funding as the parties continue to clash over proposed restrictions tied to President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The DHS shutdown is narrower than the record 43-day shutdown last fall. Only agencies under the DHS umbrella are affected, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Transportation Security Administration. Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, some federal workers could miss paychecks even though much of the operational work is expected to continue.
Democrats have said they would not help approve more DHS money until limits are placed on federal immigration operations after fatal shootings in Minneapolis last month involving Alex Pretti and Renee Good. The essential dispute, as described in reporting on the standoff, has played out as DHS funding was stripped from a broader spending package to allow more time for negotiations over demands for changes that include a code of conduct for federal agents and a requirement that officers show identification.
The rest of the federal government remains funded through Sept. 30, meaning most federal programs are not affected. Food assistance is among the programs expected to continue, and pay for most federal workers and for service members would continue uninterrupted. Other agencies that can be affected include the Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with the reporting indicating differences in which employees would continue working.
At the Secret Service, the vast majority of employees would keep working, though the duration of the shutdown could still affect whether some employees miss a paycheck. At FEMA, the shutdown is described as disrupting the agency’s ability to reimburse states for disaster relief costs, with some workers furloughed and training for first responders at the National Disaster and Emergency Management University in Maryland also disrupted.
Within DHS itself, the consequences for employees turn on whether their positions are designated “essential” or “excepted,” which the reporting says means they continue working during a shutdown. In general, those workers keep working without pay until government funding is restored. Examples of “essential” employees include military personnel, security screeners at airports, and law enforcement officers, and the reporting says the categories can range from critical public-safety roles to positions authorized by law to continue even without new funding.
The reporting says most of the more than 270,000 people employed by DHS are deemed essential, and for the fall 2025 shutdown, more than 258,000 DHS employees fell into that category while about 22,000—about 5% of the agency’s total employee base—were furloughed. Lawmakers have focused particular attention on TSA and airport operations because airport screening relies heavily on staffed security lanes and checkpoint coverage.
The reporting says that, at TSA, about 95% of employees are considered essential, and they will continue to scan passengers and bags at the nation’s commercial airports. Those workers would do so without pay while the funding lapse continues, raising the possibility that workers could begin calling out or taking unscheduled leave if the shutdown drags on. Ha Nguyen McNeill, a senior official performing the duties of TSA administrator, said: “Some are just now recovering from the financial impact of the 43-day shutdown” and added, “Many are still reeling from it.”
Senate Republican leader John Thune of South Dakota warned that “there’s a very good chance we could see more travel problems” similar to last year’s shutdown. The reporting notes that, as staffing shortages grow, airports may reduce the number of open security lanes or close checkpoints altogether to relieve pressure on an already strained workforce. During the previous funding lapse, it said, unpaid TSA workers increasingly called in sick or stayed home, and TSA closed two checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport about a month into the shutdown.
Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard reported on what the DHS shutdown means for agencies and workers, with Rio Yamat and Kevin Freking contributing to the report.