Update: DHS Shutdown

By Brionna Gillis 

The current, partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is now the longest shutdown in U.S history. 

Last Sunday, the ongoing shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security crossed into new territory when it hit its 44th day of no operation, making it the longest partial shutdown in U.S. history. It broke the record previously owned by the department and the rest of the government when they went without funding from October to mid-November of last year.  

Negotiations to reopen DHS hit a major setback last Friday after House Republicans voted to pass a short term funding bill that had no viable path in the Senate. This came hours after the Senate passed a bipartisan bill to fund all of DHS except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. House GOP leadership rejected the bill with Speaker Mike Johnson calling it “a joke,” per NBC News. 

“While I hope an agreement can be made soon, I think it’s more of a power trip than anything and unfortunately Americans have to suffer for it,” said Jayme Madison Reddick, a second-year political science major on the pre-law track. 

The Senate has repeatedly tried to pass an identical bill to fund all DHS since the shutdown began back in February, falling short of the 60-vote threshold required to push it forward. Democrats are demanding specific guardrails in immigration operations before supporting full funding for DHS which includes ICE, per NBC News. 

The shutdown has begun to affect travel across the U.S as some airport security lines have stretched for hours due to TSA staffing shortages. TSA officers have not been paid for working during the stand off in Washington despite showing up for work. This has led to hundreds of officers quitting, thousands of workers calling out, and the recruitment of ICE agents stationed at the security checkpoints. 

In response to lack of payment that TSA workers have been receiving, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA workers, with checks coming as early as Monday, according to a DHS spokesperson, per NBC News. 

“I will soon sign an order to pay all the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security,” said Trump in a post on Truth Social late Thursday, per CBS News.  

There are now talks of a quick end in sight as the senate began the first steps of ending the DHS shutdown.