Frank Rondel
A partial government shutdown has begun for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after funding lapsed at the close of business on Friday, as lawmakers failed to reach an agreement over immigration enforcement, reports customreceipt.com via sources from foxnews. Members of Congress departed Washington for a weeklong recess or to attend an international security conference in Munich, leaving critical DHS programs in limbo.
Earlier on Friday, Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, instructed DHS to start implementing its shutdown procedures. This marks the third funding lapse for the federal government since October, following a record-breaking 43-day shutdown last fall that disrupted operations across multiple agencies and affected millions of Americans. A brief partial shutdown also occurred between late January and early February, temporarily impacting the Defense, Education, Treasury, Labor, and State departments.
Key DHS divisions affected now include the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard. The standoff largely centers on Democratic demands for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), such as requiring judicial warrants before entering private property, banning agents from wearing face masks, mandating body cameras, and instituting new use-of-force standards. ICE operations will largely continue due to a $75 billion funding allocation included in President Donald Trump’s “one big beautiful bill” passed last summer.
President Trump told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce that he will personally take part in the negotiations regarding DHS funding. “I will. But you have to remember, if you look at Homeland Security, if you look at what they’ve done, if you look at what ICE has done, and Border Patrol, we have the safest border in the history of our country,” Trump said. He added that his priority is to “protect law enforcement” and that he is “always” supportive of their work.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries described the latest White House proposal as “unserious” and indicated that Democrats plan to submit a counterproposal over the weekend. Jeffries characterized the shutdown as a “confrontation on behalf of the American people,” emphasizing that spending legislation offers an opportunity to implement significant policy changes.
According to DHS plans released in September, more than 90% of the department’s 272,000 employees are expected to continue working during the shutdown, though many will do so without pay. TSA Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill stated that subjecting employees to another shutdown would be “unconscionable,” given the financial hardships many are still recovering from following the 43-day shutdown.
FEMA Associate Administrator Gregg Phillips confirmed that emergency response operations will continue using the Disaster Relief Fund, which has sufficient near-term resources, but warned that catastrophic events could quickly deplete funding. CISA, which faced furloughs for 65% of its staff during the 2025 shutdown, faces a renewed risk, with acting director Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala stressing that cyber threats persist even when government operations pause.
For the Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Thomas Allen noted that pay would be suspended for 56,000 personnel but missions would continue for national security or life and property protection. He cautioned that the lack of funding poses “severe and lasting challenges” for workforce readiness and long-term capabilities.
The Secret Service will continue protective and investigative operations, as 94% of its workforce is mission-critical, according to Deputy Director Matthew Quinn. However, Quinn warned that delayed contracts, reduced hiring, and halted new programs could produce long-term consequences.
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