US Homeland Security Department blames Democrats for partial government shutdown

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) – The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) criticized congressional Democrats on Tuesday, accusing them of putting politics over public safety and triggering a partial government shutdown.

In a statement, DHS said the lapse in funding “undermines the department’s ability to keep Americans safe” and warned of immediate consequences across multiple frontline agencies.

The partial government shutdown began early Saturday after Congress failed to pass a funding bill before a midnight Friday deadline, with Democrats blocking the measure, demanding reforms to DHS and especially its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, whose aggressive crackdowns in US cities have met widespread opposition.

"Shutting down the DHS means cutting off resources and funding to FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard, and thousands of federal law enforcement officers — the men and women who stand on the front lines of protecting our homeland every single day," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

McLaughlin said 260,000 people will lack the support they need to carry out the national security mission.

DHS is one of the largest federal agencies, comprising 23 components responsible for disaster response, border security, transportation screening, cybersecurity and infrastructure protection.

According to the department, the shutdown will delay operational planning and mission-critical procurement of resources, making it more difficult to address urgent and emerging threats, particularly in cyberspace and to critical infrastructure systems nationwide.

The shutdown follows weeks of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans on reforms to immigration enforcement and oversight of agencies such as ICE and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Following the killing of two Americans by ICE agents in the state of Minnesota in January, Democrats have insisted on stronger oversight and tighter limits on immigration enforcement -- including banning the use of masks by ICE officers, requiring body cameras to remain on, and mandating visible identification -- as a condition for supporting the funding bill.

Without funding, many workers deemed essential will be forced to work without pay or furloughed, while others will be told to stay home.

But two of the agencies that have stoked Democratic furor amid US President Donald Trump's migrant crackdown, ICE and CBP, are unlikely to suffer major operational effects from the partial shutdown through his One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed last year.

Lawmakers are expected to resume negotiations in an effort to end the partial shutdown, though there was no immediate indication of when a vote might occur.

If the partial shutdown drags on, tens of thousands of federal workers could be required to continue to work without pay, while some agencies might be compelled to scale back staffing levels until funding is restored.