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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown will be imposed as lawmakers debate new restrictions on US President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement agenda. Here's an explainer on what to expect from the DHS shutdown.
The White House ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to begin shutdown procedures as its funding from Congress expires at midnight, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
It's the third time in the last six months that parts of the US government will shut down.
Here's an explainer on what to expect from the DHS shutdown:
Why will the DHS shutdown happen?
The DHS shutdown will be imposed as lawmakers debate new restrictions on US President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement agenda.
The impasse is over Democrats' request that Homeland Security funding be stripped from a broader spending package to allow more time for negotiation over demands for changes to immigration enforcement, the Associated Press reported.
The changes may include a code of conduct for federal agents and a requirement that officers show identification.
As the funding for the DHS is set to expire Saturday, Democrats say they won't help approve more funding until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis during the immigration crackdown last month.
The White House has been negotiating with the Democrats, but the two sides failed to reach a deal by the end of the week, guaranteeing that funding for the department will lapse.
Which agencies will be affected?
Only agencies under the DHS umbrella — like the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Customs and Border Protection, the Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency — will be affected. Some federal workers could also begin to miss paychecks.
The vast majority of employees at the Secret Service and US Coast Guard will continue their work, though they could also miss a paycheck depending on the shutdown's length.
Which services will be affected?
According to Bloomberg, the shutdown will affect DHS functions other than immigration and border enforcement. Other security-sensitive jobs will be deemed essential, and those employees will report to work without pay.
Services like airport screening could also suffer if the shutdown drags on for weeks, the Associated Press reported.
About 95 percent of employees are deemed essential at the Transportation Security Administration. They will continue to scan passengers and their bags at the nation’s commercial airports.
But they will work without pay until the funding lapse is resolved.
At the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the shutdown will disrupt the agency's ability to reimburse states for disaster relief costs.
Some workers will be furloughed, limiting the agency's ability to coordinate with state and local partners, and training for first responders at the National Disaster and Emergency Management University in Maryland will be disrupted.
What's essential, what's not?
It’s up to each federal agency to designate which of its employees are “essential” or “excepted,” both of which mean the same thing in this case.
They keep working during a shutdown, typically without getting paid until government funding is back in place.
Some examples of “essential” employees are military personnel , security screeners at airports and law enforcement officers.
There can be a wide range, from positions deemed critical for public safety to those authorised by law to continue even without new funding.
(With inputs from agencies)
English (US) ·