DHS enters partial shutdown after funding lapse
The Department of Homeland Security has entered a partial shutdown after Congress missed a midnight funding deadline, forcing the agency that oversees TSA, CBP, ICE, FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard to operate without full appropriations. Essential staff such as TSA screeners at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport and Border Patrol/ICE agents remain on duty but may go unpaid until Congress passes a funding bill, while non‑essential administrative and support functions are curtailed. The article notes that, as in prior shutdowns, frontline security and border operations continue, but with growing strain on workers and potential ripple effects if the lapse drags on. Lawmakers can end the shutdown at any time by passing a DHS funding measure, but negotiations remain unresolved and no timeline has been announced. For Twin Cities residents, the shutdown raises the risk of longer lines, stressed federal staff, and slower back‑office processing tied to immigration and disaster programs even as daily operations nominally continue.
📌 Key Facts
- Congress failed to pass a DHS funding bill before the midnight deadline, triggering a partial shutdown of the department.
- Essential DHS employees, including TSA officers at airports and CBP/ICE personnel, must continue working but may do so temporarily without pay.
- Non‑essential DHS administrative and support operations will be delayed or suspended until new funding is approved, though officials have not yet detailed which specific components are affected.
📊 Relevant Data
The partial DHS shutdown in February 2026 was triggered by Senate Democrats withdrawing support for the DHS funding bill after CBP agents killed Alex Pretti, amid broader partisan disputes over immigration enforcement.
2026 United States federal government shutdowns — Wikipedia
U.S. Border Patrol recorded 237,538 migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2025, the lowest level in over 50 years, representing a 92% decline from peak levels during the Biden administration.
Migrant encounters at US-Mexico border at lowest level in over 50 years — Pew Research Center
Net international migration to the U.S. declined from 2.7 million in 2024 to 1.3 million in 2025 and further to 410,000 in 2026, leading to slowed population growth of only 0.5% between July 2024 and July 2025.
New Population Estimates Show Decline in Net International Migration — U.S. Census Bureau
Undocumented immigrants in the U.S. have lower conviction rates and are less likely to be convicted of crimes compared to U.S.-born citizens, based on recent data.
No, undocumented immigrant crime rate isn't higher as Trump claimed — Congress.gov
Immigrants, including undocumented ones, commit crimes at lower rates than the U.S.-born population, according to comprehensive arrest data from Texas.
Comparing crime rates between undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and native-born US citizens in Texas — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Primary reasons for legal immigration to the U.S. in the 2020s include work, school, family reunification, safety (asylum), and encouraging diversity through programs like the Diversity Visa.
Why do immigrants come to the US? — USAFacts
Reduced immigration in 2025-2026 is projected to dampen U.S. labor force growth, consumer spending, and GDP, with estimates showing a sustainable GDP growth rate dropping to around 1.8% annually due to lower migration.
Macroeconomic implications of immigration flows in 2025 and 2026 — Brookings Institution
Immigration has neutral to slightly positive effects on U.S. wages overall, with immigrant workers complementing rather than substituting for U.S.-born workers, though effects vary by skill level.
The U.S. benefits from immigration but policy reforms needed to maximize economic growth — Economic Policy Institute
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