A partial government shutdown is about to hit the Department of Homeland Security. Here’s what that means

By: CNN

Posted: Feb 13, 2026 9:01 AM CST

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via CNN Newsource

By Tami Luhby

(CNN) — The Department of Homeland Security is set to be ensnared by a partial government shutdown as Congress has not acted to fund the agency by the end of Friday. But nearly all DHS workers will remain on the job — even if many won’t get paid until the lapse ends — and the public probably won’t notice much of a change.

DHS is the last federal agency lacking funding for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, which runs through September 30. Since the record-long shutdown ended in mid-November, lawmakers have passed a series of spending bills for the rest of the government.

The most recent package, approved at the end of January, only funded DHS for two weeks to give Congress more time to negotiate reforms in the agency’s immigration enforcement operations — a demand by Senate Democrats after federal immigration agents fatally shot two US citizens in Minneapolis in January.

But lawmakers left town Thursday without any agreement on how to fund DHS, and the next steps are uncertain. With talks ongoing between the White House and Democrats, the two chambers aren’t scheduled to return to Washington for 11 days, though GOP leaders could still call members back if a deal is reached.

President Donald Trump is no stranger to government shutdowns. He also presided over one in his first term, which lasted 35 days and had been the longest on record until last year’s 43-day impasse.

Here’s what we know about a partial government shutdown affecting DHS:

What is the debate around funding DHS?

The shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by DHS immigration agents during protests in Minneapolis last month sparked widespread public outcry and prompted Senate Democrats to demand reforms in exchange for their support of a package to fund other federal departments.

The Democrats have said they want to restrict roving patrols, tighten parameters around warrants for searches and arrests, toughen use-of-force policies and require US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to wear body cameras and remove their masks. Republicans have resisted nearly all of those changes, and some have pushed for concessions from Democrats, like cracking down on so-called sanctuary cities.

Will this shutdown affect air travel?

Typically, a major pain point during a shutdown is the snarling of flights due to staffing issues among air traffic controllers. That won’t be an issue in this case, because controllers are part of the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration, which has already received funding for the rest of the fiscal year.

However, depending on the length of the shutdown, Americans may notice longer lines at airport security checkpoints since Transportation Security Administration workers, who fall under DHS, would have to work without pay. This has happened during prior impasses as employee absences increase as shutdowns drag on.

What will a shutdown mean for ICE and CBP?

Democrats may not have much power to actually restrict ICE and US Customs and Border Protection activities in the event of a shutdown. Even in a shutdown, ICE would still continue to operate its main functions, multiple congressional aides have contended.

Overall, more than 90% of DHS’ 272,000 employees will continue working during a lapse, according to the agency’s September shutdown plan covering the first five days of an impasse. More than 93% of ICE and CBP workers will remain on the job.

Only about 44,500 staffers will continue to be paid through other appropriations, according to the shutdown plan. However, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said last fall that 70,000 law enforcement personnel, including in CBP, ICE and other divisions, would receive their paychecks.

DHS has other resources to draw on, including a $165 billion infusion from last summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which funneled $75 billion to ICE, alone, and $64 billion to CBP.

The president’s signature policy bill gives Noem wide-ranging power to move money around to carry out the agency’s operations.

How would a lapse in funding affect other agencies under DHS?

DHS is a sprawling agency that includes not only ICE, CBP and TSA, but also the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard, Secret Service and other divisions.

Much of the agency’s workforce is focused on activities that protect life and property and is therefore considered essential. Activities that would continue include law enforcement operations, including those related to immigration and drug trafficking; passenger processing and cargo inspections at ports of entry; Disaster Relief Fund activities; and Secret Service functions.

“Because we know that the majority of staff right now would be required to work, it’s likely that the impacts would be minimally felt,” said Rachel Snyderman, managing director of the economic policy program at the Bipartisan Policy Center. “But as the duration of the shutdown continues, that’s where you start to see some issues with staff attrition.”

FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund also appears to be well-funded, though monthly reports are still lagging because of the fall shutdown, according to the center. It estimates that the fund contained nearly $31 billion at the start of the year, and the agency typically spends $500 million to $1 billion a month — barring a major disaster.

Will the IRS or other government agencies be affected?

All other areas of the federal government, including national parks and the Internal Revenue Service, will remain open since they have been funded for the rest of the fiscal year.