Key takeaways:
- House Democrats, led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, introduced a discharge petition to fund key DHS agencies like TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard through September, excluding ICE, CBP, and the Office of the Secretary, amid a partial government shutdown.
- Democrats are pushing for immigration enforcement reforms, including body cameras and visible IDs for agents, in response to recent incidents, while Republicans remain skeptical and cite recent immigration funding bills.
- The shutdown has severely impacted TSA operations, causing checkpoint closures and long wait times due to staffing shortages and missed paychecks, with many TSA workers resigning or absent nationwide.
House Democrats have introduced a discharge petition aimed at forcing a vote to fund key components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amid a partial government shutdown that has extended into its second month. The legislation, spearheaded by Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, seeks to provide funding through September for agencies including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service. Notably, the bill excludes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Office of the Secretary.
The move reflects Democrats’ ongoing demands for reforms to immigration enforcement agencies following the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minnesota earlier this year. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries emphasized the party’s commitment to pushing for changes such as requiring immigration agents to wear body cameras and visible identification, banning masks, and mandating judicial warrants for arrests on private property. “Democrats are taking matters into our own hands,” DeLauro said during a news conference, urging Republicans to support the petition. However, Republicans have expressed skepticism about the effort, with Rep. Keith Self of Texas dismissing the need for additional immigration funding, citing the recent “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that allocated billions to immigration-related agencies.
The partial shutdown has had significant operational impacts, particularly on the TSA. Philadelphia International Airport announced the temporary closure of two more TSA security checkpoints due to staffing shortages, following the earlier shutdown of the Terminal C checkpoint. These closures have led to increased wait times, with some travelers facing delays of up to 22 minutes at remaining checkpoints. Similar issues have been reported at other major airports, including George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, where wait times have fluctuated between three and 45 minutes. TSA Administrator Adam Stahl noted that daily wait times vary depending on the number of workers who report for duty.
The TSA workforce has been strained by the shutdown, which has resulted in missed paychecks for federal employees. Since the DHS funding expired on February 13, unscheduled absences among TSA officers have more than doubled at key airports nationwide. The Department of Homeland Security reported that at least 366 TSA workers have resigned rather than continue working without pay. Over the past weekend, shortages led to more than 100 incidents where operational integrity was threatened, causing wait times exceeding one hour for thousands of travelers. Houston Hobby International Airport experienced a 55% callout rate, the highest since the shutdown began. The shutdown stems from a political impasse over immigration enforcement funding and reforms, with Democrats pushing for changes and Republicans and the White House maintaining that sufficient reforms have already been implemented. Meanwhile, the shutdown continues to affect other DHS components, including FEMA and the Coast Guard, though ICE and other immigration enforcement operations remain funded.
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