Shutdown debate hits DHS workers
Political fights over a potential DHS shutdown have intensified, with Sen. Fetterman urging an end to prevent impacts on 100,000+ workers and reporting of rising illegal crossings at airports as agencies face funding pressure. The political standoff is already influencing operations across DHS components. ( )
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed at 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 14, 2026, triggering a partial shutdown and prompting the department to adopt emergency measures days later. (NPR/vpm.org ) (vpm.org) The Senate has repeatedly failed to advance a full-year DHS appropriations measure, with leaders reporting at least four unsuccessful procedural attempts by mid-March. (CBSNews.com ) (cbsnews.com) Lawmakers exchanged a new DHS funding offer from House and Senate Democrats on March 17 and held a closed-door bipartisan briefing with White House border adviser Tom Homan as negotiations continued into the third week of March. (Politico.com ) (politico.com) (PBS.org live coverage of the closed-door meeting on March 20). (pbs.org) The Transportation Security Administration has had roughly 50,000 officers required to work without regular pay during the lapse, with unscheduled absences at times doubling and more than 300 officers departing the agency since mid-February. (CBSNews.com ) (cbsnews.com) Administration officials and industry groups warned that staffing shortfalls could force temporary closures at smaller airports and have already contributed to multi-hour security lines at major hubs. (CNBC.com ) (cnbc.com) Recent data and analyses show a sharp rise in “inadmissible” arrivals processed at ports of entry, with a TRAC analysis reporting a roughly 72% increase in such encounters at ports over the prior 12 months through January 2026. (tracreports.org ) (tracreports.org) DHS halted Global Entry arrival processing nationwide effective Feb. 22 as part of cost‑saving emergency steps and later restarted the program on March 11 amid pressure from airlines and industry groups. (DHS.gov press release Feb. 22, 2026 ) (dhs.gov) (CNBC reporting on the March 11 restart). (cnbc.com)
