The 3rd government shutdown has begun in less than 6 months. The partial shutdown officially began after midnight after Democrats and Republicans spent recent weeks battling funding the Department of Homeland Security over Trump’s immigration crackdown. Congress has roughly completed 97 percent of its yearly government spending responsibilities, but a deal on DHS fell apart after the Democrats walked away from an initial bipartisan plan released last month.
DHS, with nearly 272,00 employees, will see key operations paused or halted altogether. The report says some 90 percent of DHS workers will continue the job during the funding lapse- many without pay according to the Sept 2025 Government shutdown plan.
Among those working without pay will be some 64,000 TSA (Transportation Security Administration) agents and 56,000 active-duty, reserve, and civilian Coast Guard personnel. Those people and others are expected to receive back pay when the shutdown is over.
At a news conference alongside U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks and Executive Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Diane Sabatino in Otay Mesa, California, Noem accused Democrats of sending "the wrong message," arguing that failing to fund DHS undermines national security. Democrats have said the dispute centers on immigration enforcement policies, not disaster response or transportation security. Noem added that the TSA employees, will not be paid after Friday — leading to increased wait times at airports and safety concerns.
Congress is expected to return February 23rd.