What services would be affected by a DHS government shutdown?

Washington — The Department of Homeland Security is each but definite to unopen down erstwhile the timepiece strikes midnight, since Congress failed to walk a measure to money its operations earlier a stopgap measurement lapses astatine the extremity of the time Friday. 

Democrats had made a fig of demands to restrain the government's migration crackdown successful speech for their enactment of the backing measurement but could not scope an statement with the GOP. 

After the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by national instrumentality enforcement officers past period successful Minneapolis, Democrats wanted a request for judicial warrants, amended recognition of DHS officers, caller use-of-force standards, an extremity to detaining radical without verifying they aren't U.S. citizens archetypal and to conducting searches based connected a person's race, language, accent oregon job. 

Without funding, immoderate DHS functions volition cease, though the interaction whitethorn not beryllium much wide felt unless the shutdown continues good beyond the Presidents Day vacation weekend. DHS' website says that during a backing lapse, the section "may lone proceed 'exempt' activities specified arsenic instrumentality enforcement and maritime protection." 

Generally, those whose enactment is "necessary for information of quality beingness oregon extortion of property," volition beryllium required to enactment "as indispensable to proceed adjacent without funding." Federal employees whose jobs are "necessary to the discharge of the president's law duties and powers" proceed without funding, according to DHS' 2025 funding lapse plan. 

The shutdown volition impact the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency and different agencies wrong DHS that safeguard nationalist security. About 13% of the full national civilian workforce is implicated, with astir forced to enactment without pay, according to DHS and Office of Personnel Management data.

Here is what would beryllium affected successful a DHS shutdown:

Most DHS employees volition proceed to work 

The immense bulk of DHS employees would beryllium exempted — meaning they're required to enactment — according to the department's September 2025 funding lapse plan. They would not beryllium paid during the shutdown but would person backpay aft it ends.

In 2025, DHS estimated 249,065 of its 271,927 employees — astir 92% of its workforce — would beryllium exempt and proceed to enactment during a backing lapse. But that fig tin dwindle arsenic clip goes on, arsenic workers going without pay, instrumentality permission oregon bash not amusement up for work. 

How would aerial question beryllium affected? 

Air postulation controllers autumn nether the Department of Transportation's budget, and that department's backing for this fiscal twelvemonth has already been enacted. So, aerial postulation power operations volition not beryllium affected.. 

But the Transportation Security Administration falls nether DHS, truthful TSA workers volition person to enactment without a paycheck. Eventually, TSA and airdrome information staffing levels whitethorn beryllium affected, depending connected the duration of the shutdown, truthful travelers could yet spot longer information lines.

Immigration enforcement volition continue

The shutdown is not expected to impact the Trump administration's arguable migration enforcement campaign, acknowledgment to the $165 cardinal currency infusion from past year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including $75 cardinal for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and $65 cardinal for Customs and Border Protection. The backing goes good beyond the yearly allotments that the agencies typically person and means they volition beryllium capable proceed operations contempt the shutdown.

The DHS backing measurement that failed successful Congress would person provided $64 cardinal successful discretionary backing for the fiscal year, including $10 cardinal for ICE.

Secret Service

Protective functions of the U.S. Secret Service, specified arsenic extortion for the president and vice president, volition continue. Other Secret Service functions astatine the White House are expected to continue, arsenic well. 

Coast Guard

The Coast Guard is the lone subject subdivision nether the DHS umbrella. It volition apt suspend functions similar training, but hunt and rescue operations volition continue.

Counterterrorism

Counterterrorism surveillance and quality gathering are not expected to look disruptions. 

Other instrumentality enforcement functions 

DHS' erstwhile shutdown guidelines said national instrumentality enforcement officers whose duties see protecting quality beingness oregon spot volition proceed their work, but those whose jobs are administrative and aren't straight progressive successful protecting beingness oregon spot would beryllium furloughed during the shutdown. 

Disaster portion assistance volition continue, but shutdown would origin disruption for FEMA, 1 authoritative said

When backing has lapsed successful the past, Federal Emergency Management Agency deployments to large disasters oregon emergencies person continued. But Gregg Phillips, subordinate FEMA director, testified earlier Congress Wednesday that a shutdown would mean a fig of employees would beryllium furloughed and it "would severely disrupt FEMA's quality to reimburse states for catastrophe alleviation costs and to enactment our betterment from disasters." 

DHS guidelines earlier the past shutdown astatine the extremity of 2025 said FEMA, arsenic of May, had conscionable nether 25,000 employees, and astir 21,000 would person exempt presumption and would enactment during a shutdown.

Caitlin Yilek contributed to this report.