US funding standoff forces DHS to halt key airport security services

US funding standoff forces DHS to halt key airport security services after the Department of Homeland Security suspended TSA PreCheck and Global Entry from Sunday at 6 a.m. Eastern. According to a report by the Washington Post, the decision follows a lapse in funding for the department on February 14 after Congress failed to reach an agreement. DHS said it is redirecting staff and resources as part of emergency steps during the shutdown.

The department said it is prioritising regular travellers at airports and ports of entry. DHS Secretary Kristi L. Noem said the agency is making workforce and resource changes to manage operations during the funding gap.

“This is the third time that Democrat politicians have shut down this department during the 119th Congress,” Noem said. “Shutdowns have serious real world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers national security.”


The shutdown began after Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on conditions linked to DHS funding. Democrats sought new restrictions on federal agents after officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renée Good, in Minneapolis last month. The White House negotiated with Democratic leaders, but both sides did not reach a deal before the funding deadline.

From Sunday, DHS will also suspend airport police escorts for members of Congress and other expedited services. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will halt all non-disaster related responses to focus on disasters, including an expected winter storm. The department has required approval for all FEMA travel, including travel related to disaster relief.

Democrats have demanded that federal agents wear body cameras, avoid wearing masks, obtain judicial warrants before conducting home raids, stop operations at sensitive locations such as schools and churches, and follow a code of conduct similar to state and local police.

Congress has been on a scheduled recess for the past week. Democratic leaders continued talks with White House officials and sent a counteroffer earlier this week, according to a spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer.

This is the third federal shutdown in recent months. In the current case, lawmakers have funded all departments except DHS, which represents about 13 percent of the civilian federal workforce.

Agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection are expected to continue operations due to funding provided under a tax and spending law signed last year. DHS received $170 billion under that law, including $75 billion for ICE.

However, agencies like FEMA and the Transportation Security Administration face greater impact. According to DHS’s shutdown plan issued in September, 91 percent of employees would continue working without pay. The first missed paycheck is due on March 3.

Republican leaders warned that failing to fund DHS would affect operations across the country. “If the Department of Homeland Security is defunded, the pain will extend throughout the country,” Sen. John Barrasso said on the Senate floor before the shutdown began.

Democrats said they do not intend to disrupt agencies such as TSA that are not directly involved in immigration enforcement, but argue that changes are necessary.