DHS Shutdown. ICE Keeps Running.
On February 14, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security shut down after Congress failed to fund the agency's 260,000-person workforce. This is the third government shutdown in months, but unlike previous shutdowns that affected the entire federal government, this one targets only DHS.
The core dispute: Democrats demand ICE reforms cemented into law following the deaths of two American citizens shot by immigration agents in Minneapolis. Republicans refuse to limit enforcement authority.
Why ICE Still Operates
Despite the shutdown, ICE and CBP continue operating without interruption. The reason: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed in 2025, allocated $75 billion for ICE and $64 billion for CBP in advance appropriations. This money was approved independently of the annual funding process. The shutdown affects DHS administrative staff, TSA screeners (who continue working without pay), Coast Guard personnel, FEMA, and Secret Service.
ICE agents are fully funded. The shutdown does not touch their operations, their equipment, or their authority. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has wide-ranging power to move money between accounts under the advance appropriation.
NPR: 5 Things to Know About the DHS Shutdown
The Minneapolis Trigger
The shutdown traces back to two incidents in Minneapolis where ICE agents shot and killed American citizens during enforcement operations. In one case, agents shot a man who was filming them. The incidents generated demands from Democrats and some moderate Republicans for statutory limits on ICE use of force, body camera requirements, and an independent review mechanism.
The Trump administration rejected all proposals as unacceptable restrictions on law enforcement. Congressional Republicans — dependent on Trump's support — fell in line. The funding bill died. DHS shut down.
Washington Post: DHS Runs Out of Money as Congress Fails to Fund Agency
Who Gets Hurt
Federal workers face partial paychecks starting February 27. TSA screeners at airports are working without pay, as they do in every shutdown, creating both a morale crisis and a security risk. Coast Guard operations are degraded. FEMA disaster response is operating on reserves.
Meanwhile, immigration enforcement — the most controversial function of DHS — continues uninterrupted with $75 billion in pre-approved funding.
The shutdown hurts the people who screen your luggage and respond to hurricanes. It does not affect the people who kicked down a door in Minneapolis and shot a man with a camera.
CNN: What the DHS Shutdown Means
The Politics
Shutdowns are political theater. Both parties know it. Democrats use this one to highlight ICE overreach. Republicans use it to demonstrate commitment to border enforcement. The workers who are not getting paid are props in a performance neither side intends to resolve quickly.
The question is not when DHS reopens. The question is why $75 billion in advance appropriations made ICE shutdown-proof while TSA screeners — who keep airports functioning — are working for IOUs.