5 things to know : NPR
The Department of Homeland Security sign is seen in front of its headquarters on February 13, 2026 in Washington, DC
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Alex Wong/Getty Images
The Department of Homeland Security shut down after lawmakers failed to meet a midnight Friday deadline to fund the agency and its workforce of more than 260,000.
The department saw its core funding expire after lawmakers left town for a weeklong vacation but without an agreement to curb the conduct of federal immigration agents. Democrats say after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis, they need reforms written into law before they agree to fund the department.
This is now the third shutdown in a few months, but unlike the others, this one is more limited. This only affects DHS, not other federal agencies. Still, the department has a broad scope, responsible not only for immigration enforcement but also for disaster response and airport security.
As lawmakers and the White House seek to break the impasse, here are five things to know about the shutdown.
1. Difficult to know how long the shutdown will last
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., arrives for a news conference February 10, 2026 on Capitol Hill. Thune said lawmakers were told to be ready to come back from recess if a deal on DHS funding is reached.
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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Democrats came up with a list of 10 demands, but it was difficult to find consensus. Some requests, such as requiring immigration officers to wear body cameras, appear to have bipartisan support. But Republican lawmakers have pushed back on other demands, such as banning officers from wearing masks to conceal their identities. Republicans say it would make it easier for people to dox federal agents.
Senate Republicans tried Thursday to pass a short-term funding extension to allow time for negotiations to play out, but Democrats blocked the measure before lawmakers in both chambers left the Capitol for the recess. The vote came after a counteroffer from the White House that Democrats rejected as “insufficient and incomplete.”
“Democrats will not support a blank check for chaos,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “This vote today asked a simple question: Will you curb ICE abuses or will you vote to prolong the chaos. Republicans chose chaos. Democrats, we refused.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said lawmakers have been told to be prepared to return from recess if a deal is reached, although he indicated that would be unlikely.
“I just think right now we’re not close,” Thune told reporters.
2. Immigration controls should continue without interruption
An ICE agent holds a Taser while standing guard on February 5, 2026 in Minneapolis.
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Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
During two congressional hearings this week, leaders of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection told lawmakers that their agencies likely would not see a significant impact on their enforcement operations since the two agencies received more than $70 billion from Congress last summer as part of the massive GOP tax and spending bill.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said the shutdown could affect DHS’s work on transnational crime, but he noted no impact on immigration operations. CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott did not detail how the shutdown would affect personnel, saying only: “I agree that America is becoming less safe. »
Another agency unlikely to see much disruption is U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow reminded House lawmakers that his agency is funded primarily by fees people pay when they submit various forms and applications, so his employees would still be paid.
3. Air travelers could experience delays… eventually
A TSA checkpoint is closed during the government shutdown last year at Baltimore Washington International Airport. The DHS shutdown could cause delays for travelers at TSA checkpoints.
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Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Most of the Transportation Security Administration’s approximately 64,000 employees are considered “essential” workers and must remain on the job.
Still, travelers across the United States could feel the impact of the shutdown, especially if it lasts more than a few weeks. During previous shutdowns, more airport security officers stayed home when they began to miss paychecks, citing “financial limitations.”
And TSA leaders say many are still feeling the effects of the long funding hiatus in October and November.
“We’ve seen a lot of people having to take on second jobs, which makes work days extremely long,” Ha Nguyen McNeill, the acting TSA administrator, said during a House hearing Wednesday. “Some are just recovering from the financial impact of the 43-day closure. Many are still in shock. We cannot give them another experience like this.”
The number of unscheduled absences among TSA employees doubled or even tripled at some airports during the latest shutdown, according to McNeill. The threat of repeated closures also makes it harder to attract and retain workers, she said.
Some may feel more motivated to report to work this time around because of the $10,000 bonuses DHS leaders awarded screeners for “exemplary service” after previous findings failed — although it’s not clear how many workers received those bonuses, or how they were selected.
Fortunately for travelers, February is a relatively quiet month for the U.S. aviation industry. But traffic tends to pick up in March, when the spring break season begins. Air traffic controllers work for the Federal Aviation Administration, which is not part of DHS, so they should not be directly affected by a shutdown.
4. Federal disaster response will still be available, but could be slowed down
A National Response Coordination Center employee examines a map of the approaching winter storm at FEMA headquarters January 24, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Al Drago/Getty Images
The country’s main relief agency will be affected by the closure, but it will still be able to respond to emergencies.
FEMA supports state and local governments when large disasters strike, including major hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires. For example, FEMA had staff, food, and generators during the ice storm that hit the eastern half of the United States earlier this winter.
This type of assistance is financed with money from the Disaster Relief Fund, created by Congress. On Wednesday, FEMA Associate Administrator Gregg Phillips told Congress that the fund “has sufficient balances to continue emergency response activities for the foreseeable future.”
FEMA also helps fund disaster recovery costs, including repairing homes, schools and roads, transporting debris, and building infrastructure such as flood walls that can help protect people during the next disaster. This work often takes years and will be slowed by the closure, as some employees may be furloughed and certain types of funding will not be available.
“A government shutdown would seriously disrupt FEMA’s ability to reimburse states for disaster relief costs and support our recovery from disasters,” Phillips told House members.
5. Some Coast Guard missions could be suspended
The USCGC Vigilant (WMEC-617) is docked at Coast Guard Base San Juan December 31, 2025 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images
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Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images
The U.S. Coast Guard is a branch of the military, but it is housed within DHS. Adm. Thomas Allan told the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that in the event of a shutdown, the Coast Guard should suspend all nonessential missions and postpone training and maintenance, as well as commercial safety inspections and other services.
Coast Guard teams are deployed across the country and around the world and perform a wide range of missions considered essential, from search and rescue to interdiction of drug trafficking vessels. A large part of the 55,000 employees should continue to work, at the risk of not being paid in the event of a shutdown. However, during the latest shutdown, DHS used money from the Republican tax and budget bill to pay its salaries.
