DHS Shutdown and ICE Policy Fight

Facing legal and ethics hurdles tied to his federal contracts, the White House declined Elon Musk’s public offer to privately pay TSA salaries during the prolonged DHS shutdown—officials said they briefly considered routing money through the Treasury’s gifts account but concluded congressional action would be the fastest remedy, with internal cost estimates near $250 million. The shutdown has left tens of thousands of TSA employees working unpaid, driven hundreds of resignations and sharp increases in call‑outs, produced multi‑hour security waits and checkpoint closures, prompted ICE deployments and airport donation drives, and intensified a bitter congressional fight over ICE reforms.