The White House has instructed the Department of Homeland Security to initiate shutdown procedures as its congressional funding runs out at midnight — marking the third partial shutdown of the United States government in the past six months, Bloomberg reported.
The shutdown will impact Department of Homeland Security operations aside from immigration and border enforcement, which are largely financed through multi-year funding included in the tax-and-spending legislation approved by Congress last July, according to the report.
Other roles considered critical to national security will also remain active, with those employees required to continue working without pay.
While the shutdown formally takes effect at midnight, DHS employees were instructed to report to work and begin an “orderly shutdown” on their next regularly scheduled shift — which for most workers will be Tuesday following the observation of Presidents’ Day on Monday, as reported by Bloomberg.
The White House frequently issues shutdown memos as a form of political messaging, and in Friday’s notice, White House budget director Russ Vought cast the funding lapse as the result of unreasonable demands by Democrats.
Homeland Security funding was removed from a larger spending bill last week while lawmakers were negotiating changes to immigration enforcement following protests and fatal shootings by federal officers in Minnesota.
Vought specifically referred to President Donald Trump’s decision to end that operation — known as “Operation Metro Surge” — as a concession to congressional Democrats.
“The administration will continue to seek good-faith, bipartisan solutions to complete the appropriations process and avoid another damaging government shutdown,” Vought said, as reported by Bloomberg.
Congress, which has to approve DHS funding, is on a week-long recess.
Why is a Homeland Security shutdown happening?
In essence, the situation arose because Donald Trump acquiesced to Democrats’ request to remove Homeland Security funding from a broader spending bill, giving lawmakers more time to negotiate proposed changes to immigration enforcement — including a code of conduct for federal agents and a requirement that officers display identification, as reported by Associated Press.
As a result, the Department of Homeland Security received only short-term funding through Friday.
The rest of the federal government, however, remains funded through September 30.
Thus, most federal programs are not affected by the shutdown, including food assistance programs, and pay for the majority of federal employees and service members will continue without interruption.
(With inputs from agencies)
