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Gone quiet · last update Apr 28, 2026 / United States Department of Homeland Security

The 2026 Homeland Security shutdown over Democrats' ICE demands

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

Most of the Department of Homeland Security went unfunded from February 14 to April 30, 2026, an 11-week partial shutdown that began when Democrats refused to fund the department without new restrictions on federal immigration agents.[1][2][3] Unpaid Transportation Security Administration officers quit or stayed home, and airport security lines stretched for hours.[4][5] The lapse became the longest funding gap on record,[6] and it ended when Congress funded most of the department while the fight over immigration operations went on.[7][3]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

Unpaid Transportation Security Administration officers quit or stayed home, and airport security lines stretched for hours.[4][5] The lapse became the longest funding gap on record,[6] and it ended when Congress funded most of the department while the fight over immigration operations went on.[7][3]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-01-19 (UTC): 8%, 13 of 170 tracked outlets (4 left, 8 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-01-26 (UTC): 27%, 51 of 189 tracked outlets (17 left, 26 center, 8 right)Week of 2026-02-02 (UTC): 23%, 40 of 177 tracked outlets (7 left, 26 center, 7 right)Week of 2026-02-09 (UTC): 20%, 36 of 180 tracked outlets (10 left, 20 center, 6 right)Week of 2026-02-16 (UTC): 24%, 43 of 178 tracked outlets (12 left, 19 center, 12 right)Week of 2026-02-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-09 (UTC): 16%, 27 of 166 tracked outlets (7 left, 17 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-03-16 (UTC): 29%, 52 of 178 tracked outlets (14 left, 24 center, 14 right)Week of 2026-03-23 (UTC): 46%, 78 of 170 tracked outlets (28 left, 32 center, 18 right)Week of 2026-03-30 (UTC): 26%, 50 of 190 tracked outlets (16 left, 25 center, 9 right)Week of 2026-04-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-27 (UTC): 19%, 30 of 160 tracked outlets (13 left, 13 center, 4 right)Week of 2026-05-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 5 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (10 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Apr 27, 20261313430 of 16019%
Mar 30, 20261625950 of 19026%
Mar 23, 202628321878 of 17046%
Mar 16, 202614241452 of 17829%
Mar 9, 2026717327 of 16616%
Feb 16, 202612191243 of 17824%
Feb 9, 20261020636 of 18020%
Feb 2, 2026726740 of 17723%
Jan 26, 20261726851 of 18927%
Jan 19, 202648113 of 1708%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Apr 27, 2026 · first reported · Headline from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

    Trump signs bill to fund DHS, ending shutdown

Background

The standoff began in January 2026, after a federal officer shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minnesota, the second such killing there.[8][9] Democratic senators vowed to oppose Homeland Security funding,[9] and the Senate funded most of the government through September while giving the department only a two-week extension to allow debate on new limits on immigration raids.[10] A three-day partial shutdown followed before President Donald Trump signed the package on February 3.[11][12] The killings in Minneapolis are followed in their own arc.

Read the full background (2 more paragraphs)

Senate Majority Leader John Thune called Democrats' demands for new restrictions on immigration officers "unrealistic,"[13] and on February 14 much of the department ran out of money.[2][1] The department briefly said it would suspend TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, then reversed course on PreCheck,[14][15] and Global Entry was later restored.[16] A month in, hundreds of unpaid TSA workers had quit,[4] security lines ran for hours at airports across the country,[5] and the acting TSA chief warned that some airports might have to close checkpoints.[17] Trump sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to help at airports[18][19] and signed an order to pay TSA officers.[20][21]

On March 27 the Senate approved funding for the TSA and most other parts of the department, leaving out the immigration operations at the heart of the impasse.[7] House Republicans balked at first.[22] On March 29 the lapse reached 44 days, passing the 2025 shutdown that had closed the whole government,[6] which is followed in its own arc. Speaker Mike Johnson and Thune then announced a plan to fully fund the department,[23] and on April 30 Trump signed the bill within hours of its passing the House on a voice vote.[3]

Supporting stories (23)
  1. TSA agents are working without pay at US airports due to another shutdown
  2. DHS shutdown now in effect after Congress fails to reach funding deal
  3. Trump signs bill to fund DHS, ending shutdown
  4. More airport disruptions expected as TSA agents quit amid first weekend without full pay
  5. Airports see hourslong delays due to TSA shortages as Homeland Security shutdown shows no sign of ending
  6. DHS funding lapse is now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history
  7. Senate approves funding for TSA and most of Homeland Security, but not immigration enforcement
  8. Dems move to block DHS, ICE funding after latest Minneapolis shooting
  9. Democrats vow to oppose homeland security funds after Minnesota shooting as shutdown risk grows
  10. Senate passes Trump-backed government funding deal, sending to House
  11. Here's what to know about the partial government shutdown and its impact
  12. Trump Signs Bill to End Partial Government Shutdown, Setting Stage for Next Fight
  13. Homeland Security shutdown grows more likely as Republicans rebuff Democrats’ ICE demands
  14. Homeland Security suspends TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs
  15. TSA says PreCheck still operational after previous announcement of suspension during funding fight
  16. Trump administration to restore Global Entry program as DHS shutdown impacts travel
  17. TSA boss warns of airport shutdowns, but no deal yet on day 40 of Homeland Security funding fight
  18. Trump threatens to put ICE agents in airports starting Monday amid DHS shutdown
  19. Border czar says ICE may not leave airports once TSA officers are paid
  20. Trump signs order to pay TSA employees after Congress fails to agree on DHS funding
  21. TSA agents will soon be paid but it may not mean immediate relief at airport security lines
  22. House Republicans reject Senate plan to end DHS shutdown
  23. Republican leaders in Congress announce plan to end Homeland Security shutdown

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 48 recorded updates

April 2026

  1. Trump signs bill to fund DHS, ending shutdownHeadline from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · 32 outlets
  2. Trump signs memo directing DHS to pay all employees during shutdownHeadline from NBC News · 14 outlets

March 2026

  1. Republican leaders in Congress announce plan to end Homeland Security shutdownHeadline from FOX 5 New York · 22 outlets
  2. DHS funding lapse is now the longest government shutdown in U.S. historyHeadline from NBC News · 5 outlets
  3. Border czar says ICE may not leave airports once TSA officers are paidHeadline from NBC10 Philadelphia · 13 outlets
  4. TSA agents will soon be paid but it may not mean immediate relief at airport security linesHeadline from Vail Daily · 10 outlets
  5. Senate approves funding for TSA and most of Homeland Security, but not immigration enforcementHeadline from Breitbart News · 14 outlets
  6. DHS funding deal reached in Senate, funds TSA and most of Homeland Security, but not ICE and Border PatrolHeadline from Fox5 Atlanta · 14 outlets
  7. Trump signs order to pay TSA employees after Congress fails to agree on DHS fundingHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 46 outlets
  8. TSA boss warns of airport shutdowns, but no deal yet on day 40 of Homeland Security funding fightHeadline from Seattle Times · 9 outlets
  9. House Republicans reject Senate plan to end DHS shutdownHeadline from NPR · 8 outlets
  10. Delta suspends specialty services for congressional members amid shutdown-driven TSA delaysHeadline from NBC News · 21 outlets
  11. Miserably long airport lines ease as TSA workers start to recoup back payHeadline from KRDO · 16 outlets
  12. Shock and disbelief at Houston airport as 36% of TSA officers call out of work: "This is insane"Headline from CBS News · 3 outlets
  13. Senate ready to confirm Mullin to Homeland Security as TSA standoff deepensHeadline from Breitbart News · 8 outlets
  14. ICE agents are at airports to help TSA ease travel woes. Here’s what we know about their deploymentHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 53 outlets
  15. Nonprofits, unions and airports rally to feed TSA officers as shutdown dragsHeadline from Seattle Times · 11 outlets
  16. For airline passengers, the shutdown answer is simple: Pay TSA officersHeadline from NBC New York · 7 outlets
  17. Trump threatens to put ICE agents in airports starting Monday amid DHS shutdownHeadline from 6ABC Philadelphia · 17 outlets
  18. Elon Musk offers to pay TSA workers' salaries amid DHS budget standoffHeadline from FOX Business · 8 outlets
  19. ICE officers will begin assisting TSA as shutdown frustrates travelers and screenersHeadline from Kokomo Tribune · 18 outlets
  20. TSA officers are the latest aviation workers to be used as ‘political pawns.’ They just want the shutdown to endHeadline from KTVZ Bend · 7 outlets
  21. Airports may close as TSA funding issues continue: what we knowHeadline from Newsweek · 12 outlets
  22. Storms cancel more US flights as TSA remains under pressure from partial government shutdownHeadline from Seattle Times · 9 outlets
  23. TSA officers are quitting as a funding standoff forces airport screeners to work without payHeadline from NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth · 11 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →