The Department of Homeland Security is at risk of shutting down at the end of this week if lawmakers can’t agree on a spending deal to either extend current funding temporarily or finish the budget for the 2026 fiscal year.
Appropriators were prepared to pass the final funding bill last month as part of a larger spending package, but the DHS portion was later removed amid backlash to how federal immigration officers are operating in Minnesota, where two U.S. citizens were killed in separate incidents. Since then, Republicans and Democrats have not come to an agreement on how to keep the department’s lights on — meaning all federal funding will lapse this weekend if some sort of deal isn’t passed.
Democrats are largely refusing to fund the department until the White House agrees to place more guardrails on immigration officers. Party leaders released an official list of demands over the weekend, several of which Republicans have already rejected.
But a DHS shutdown would have wide-ranging effects — reaching far past just immigration policy. Here are the other agencies at risk of losing funding if another partial shutdown takes place.
Transportation Security Administration
One of the most crucial agencies covered by DHS funding is the Transportation Security Administration, which oversees safety and logistical operations at U.S. airports.
If funding for DHS lapses, most employees will be deemed essential and must still work throughout the shutdown without pay. Depending on how long a shutdown lasts, that work puts an unusual strain on airport workers and can lead to employees calling out of their shifts due to fatigue, burnout or illness.
When those staffers call out, it leads to delays in security screenings and more planes are grounded, meaning flights are delayed or canceled.
That’s what happened during President Donald Trump’s first term when the government was shut down for a then-record 35 days, leading to major problems for the country’s busiest airports when air traffic controllers and other employees began taking unscheduled leave. Trump eventually agreed to a short-term spending deal to reopen the department.
FEMA
Another major department funded under DHS funding is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is responsible for disaster preparedness, response and recovery nationwide.
Like TSA, employees for FEMA are also considered essential — so many will continue working without pay for as long as the shutdown lasts. That could lead to slower response times and disrupt coordination between state and local agencies if administrative staffs are reduced.
That would be especially harmful if a new disaster occurred during a shutdown, as the agency could be delayed in deploying emergency teams and supplies to the area.
A shutdown could also affect the Disaster Relief Fund, which could run low on money if new funding isn’t allocated. That could lead to pauses in emergency aid in some states.
U.S. Coast Guard
The Coast Guard would also be affected under the DHS funding bill despite still operating as an essential department. Those missions range from search and rescue operations, maritime law enforcement, port and vessel security, and counterterrorism operations.
In a shutdown, certain operations such as training, maintenance, and other nonessential activities can be delayed. Short-term projects can continue but any longer-term jobs would likely be sidelined until funding is restored.
Administrative functions could also be slowed in a shutdown, meaning things such as pay and benefits could be delayed.
Secret Service
The Secret Service, the main security arm of the president and other leaders, would also be affected under a partial shutdown.
Secret Service agents would still be considered essential but they would not get paid until appropriations are approved. The president, vice president, families, and major events would continue to be protected in a shutdown.
However, nonprotective functions would be delayed such as administrative work, training programs or investigative work that is not tied to immediate threats, among other things.
Democrats suggest removing ICE from full bill
While those departments, and several others, are at risk of losing funding in a DHS shutdown, some Democrats have suggested removing funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ensure the other items are replenished.
That way, lawmakers can continue negotiations on immigration policy and enforcement but other must-pass spending items can be fulfilled.
Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democratic appropriator in the House, said in a statement last week that she would be open to putting agencies such as TSA and FEMA into its own spending bill “in order to avoid any disruption to public services or missed paychecks for federal workers.”
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., later told Bloomberg that he expects Democratic leaders to propose a spending bill that only includes those agencies and temporarily extends ICE until a deal is made.
It’s unlikely Republican leaders will be open to splitting up the DHS spending bill, and several members of the majority party have already balked at Democrats’ demands for being unreasonable.
“What they will be tying up, if the Democrats choose to close the government, is these very essential services for everything else: FEMA, Coast Guard, TSA, and other aspects of national security,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said last week.