Homeland Security Shutdown Looks Set To Drag On, Bringing New Headaches for Air Travelers

Get ready for long lines and flight delays at the airport — again.A partial government shutdown prompted by disagreement over funding for the Department of Homeland Security appears poised to last at least 10 days, with lawmakers gone from Washington for a week-long recess without a resolution. The funding lapse, which began Saturday morning, stems from a deadlock between Democrats and the White House regarding immigration enforcement reforms.The impasse reflects a deep political divide, with neither side seeing a clear path forward. Negotiations continue and Democrats are reportedly preparing to send the White House a new proposal before Monday, but no resolution isn expected until around President Trump’s State of the Union address on February 24, “This ‘nyah nyah’ is going to go on for a while,” said Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, regarding the stalemate.While most of the federal government remains funded through September, this latest lapse affects the constellation of agencies under the DHS umbrella. The immediate impact on the public may be muted, but pain points could emerge if the shutdown drags on.The most visible disruption is likely to be at airports. Some 95 percent of the Transportation Security Administration’s 64,000 employees are deemed essential and must work without pay. However, previous shutdowns have seen TSA agents calling out sick in high numbers due to financial stress, leading to longer wait times and closed checkpoints.TSA’s acting administrator, Ha Nguyen McNeill, said many agents live paycheck to paycheck, and “the ability to pay for rent, bills, groceries, childcare and gas just to get to work becomes very challenging, leading to increased unscheduled absences.”In prepared testimony provided to a House subcommittee before the shutdown, Ms. McNeill also said a higher level of absences “can result in longer wait times at checkpoints, leading to missed or delayed flights, which has a cascading negative impact on the American economy.” “The longer the shutdown goes on, the more severe the impact on our TSA workforce,” she noted.Beyond travel, the Federal Emergency Management Agency also faces disruptions. While the Disaster Relief Fund has sufficient balances for immediate emergency responses, the agency’s ability to reimburse states for recovery costs will be severely hampered. Training for first responders has also been suspended.The shutdown affects more than 260,000 DHS employees. While the vast majority are considered essential — including 94 percent of the Secret Service and active-duty U.S. Coast Guard personnel — they will not receive paychecks until funding is restored.Some agencies face immediate furloughs. At the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, nearly 1,500 employees — more than half the workforce — have been sent home. The U.S. Coast Guard has been forced to suspend non-essential missions, including training and commercial safety inspections.Conversely, immigration enforcement operations are expected to continue largely uninterrupted. Thanks to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection have a financial cushion of more than $130 billion combined.At its core the dispute is over Democratic demands for new restrictions on immigration enforcement following the fatal shooting of two Americans by officers in Minneapolis. Demands include requirements for body cameras and prohibitions on agents wearing masks to conceal their identities.Republicans have rejected these proposals, arguing they would endanger officers. Top GOP lawmakers argue the Democrats’ demands are unserious. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota on Thursday told reporters, “I just think at the moment we’re not close.”With Congress in recess and no face-to-face meetings scheduled, the shutdown seems destined to last a while. “Both sides could dig in and just let this thing drag on,” Mr. Thune said. “I don’t think that’s in anybody’s best interest.”

Homeland Security Shutdown Looks Set To Drag On, Bringing New Headaches for Air Travelers

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