The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is heading toward a partial shutdown starting at midnight on Saturday, February 14, 2026, after the Senate failed to pass a funding bill on Thursday. Lawmakers from both parties left Washington for a 10-day recess over Presidents’ Day without reaching an agreement, making an extended lapse in funding likely.
The impasse stems from a bitter dispute over immigration enforcement reforms. Senate Democrats blocked the DHS appropriations bill, which needed 60 votes to advance but fell short in a near party-line 52-47 vote. Only one Democrat, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, supported moving the legislation forward. Democrats also rejected a short-term two-week extension of current funding levels.
Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have demanded changes to how agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—both under DHS—operate. Their push follows the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by federal agents during a major immigration operation called “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis. The crackdown, which involved thousands of agents and led to thousands of arrests, drew widespread protests and criticism over tactics like masked agents and excessive force.
Democrats want reforms including banning agents from wearing masks, requiring body cameras (which the administration has begun providing in Minneapolis with plans to expand nationwide), obtaining judicial warrants before entering private property, prohibiting racial profiling, and barring immigration enforcement at places like schools, hospitals, churches, and polling stations. Schumer called these “common sense” measures that local law enforcement often follows, accusing Republicans of choosing “chaos” by refusing to negotiate seriously.
Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have called some Democratic ideas positive but labeled others “non-starters” that would tie the hands of law enforcement. They have pushed for requirements that local and state police cooperate more with federal immigration officials.
The Trump administration recently ended the intensified “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota, with Border Czar Tom Homan announcing a return to normal agent levels after taking over from a previous official. The administration has agreed to some changes, like body cameras, but key differences remain unresolved.
Importantly, core immigration enforcement through ICE and CBP is unlikely to be heavily disrupted. Last summer’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a major tax and spending law signed by President Trump, provided tens of billions of dollars—reportedly around $75 billion over several years—for these agencies to support mass deportation efforts. This separate funding shields much of their operations from the current lapse.
Instead, the shutdown will mainly affect other DHS agencies and services. These include:
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA): Airport security screeners and baggage handlers will likely continue working without pay to avoid major travel chaos like long lines, flight delays, or cancellations seen in past shutdowns. High absenteeism could still occur if the lapse drags on, as workers seek other income.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Many employees could be furloughed without pay, slowing coordination with state and local partners for disaster response and recovery. Officials warn this could hamper preparedness for natural disasters, delay claims processing, and erode public trust in emergency services.
- U.S. Coast Guard: As the only armed service under DHS, it will suspend non-essential missions like routine patrols, fisheries enforcement, and vessel inspections. About 56,000 personnel could go without pay, affecting morale, training, and maintenance. Delays in merchant mariner credentials and economic impacts from halted inspections are possible.
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): Only imminent threat responses and basic operations would continue; preventive work, training, and strategic planning would suffer, potentially weakening defenses against cyber threats.
- U.S. Secret Service: Core protection duties would persist, but reforms (sparked partly by past incidents) in training, technology, and hiring would halt, delaying improvements.
This would be the third partial government funding lapse this month and follows a record 43-day shutdown earlier. The House had passed the DHS bill in January and a short extension in early February, but Senate Democrats’ stand has created the current crisis. With Congress in recess and many members attending the Munich Security Conference, a quick weekend resolution appears unlikely. Senators could be recalled if a deal emerges, but deep divisions over immigration policy make that uncertain. The standoff highlights ongoing tensions in Washington over border security, enforcement tactics, and government funding.