DHS Shutdown Becomes Longest in US History as Airport Chaos Deepens

Record-Breaking Shutdown Reaches 44 Days

The partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security has now stretched for 44 days, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history . This DHS shutdown has broken the previous record when the department and the rest of the federal government went without funding from October until mid-November , though this time the rest of the federal agencies and departments are funded .

The standoff has its roots in a fundamental disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over immigration enforcement. Democrats have been refusing to fund the Homeland Security as they demand changes to rein in Trump's immigration enforcement operations . Meanwhile, under a proposal pitched to Trump, Republicans would offer to reopen all of DHS except ICE and fund the controversial enforcement agency under a separate party-line budget bill .

The timing couldn't be worse for finding a resolution. The Senate is scheduled to be out of town until April 13, and the House is set to be out until April 14 , making the prospects of a quick end to the shutdown unlikely .

Airport Crisis Reaches Breaking Point

The human cost of the shutdown has become increasingly severe at airports across the nation. Multiple airports are experiencing greater than 40% callout rates of TSA workers and nearly 500 of its nearly 50,000 transportation security officers have now quit during the shutdown . Nationwide on Wednesday, more than 11% of the TSA employees on the schedule missed work, according to DHS. That is more than 3,120 callouts .

The situation has created dangerous conditions beyond just inconvenience. Security risks could increase in airports as the partial government shutdown continues and TSA agents go unpaid, said Keith Jeffries, former federal security director for the Los Angeles International Airport . He warned that TSA workers tasked with observing X-ray images and spotting dangerous items at security checkpoints may be distracted .

The acting TSA administrator, Ha Nguyen McNeill, testified at a House hearing Wednesday, describing the multiple hardships facing unpaid TSA workers — piling up bills and eviction notices, even plasma donations to make ends meet — and warned of potential airport closures if more employees refuse to come to work .

Trump's Emergency Intervention

Facing mounting pressure and airport chaos, President Donald Trump on Friday issued a promised executive order, which calls for Transportation Security Administration employees, who have been without pay during the partial government shutdown, to be paid immediately . A DHS spokesperson said that "at the direction of President Trump and the Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, TSA has immediately begun the process of paying its workforce." "TSA officers should begin seeing paychecks as early as Monday, March 30," the spokesperson added .

The funding source remains somewhat unclear. CBS News, citing a senior administration official, reported that DHS would use funding from last summer's One Big Beautiful Bill Act to pay TSA employees . Notably, ICE agents, some of whom are now stationed at airports in an effort to help TSA, have continued to receive pay during the DHS shutdown since they're drawing on funding from Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill that was signed into law last year .

However, other DHS staff, including those at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will continue to work without pay unless Congress salvages a DHS funding deal .

Political Stalemate Continues

Despite Trump's intervention for TSA workers, the broader political deadlock shows no signs of resolution. Negotiations to re-open DHS were dealt a major setback Friday after House Republicans voted to pass a short-term funding bill that has no viable path in the Senate . There's no end to the DHS shutdown in sight, as House Republicans press ahead with a funding plan that Senate Democrats say is a non-starter .

The shutdown has also sparked broader political tensions, with President Donald Trump again encouraging congressional Republicans to "TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, and VOTE," escalating pressure on his party as lawmakers remain divided over the long-standing rule . Protesters around the country joined "No Kings" rallies on Saturday, the third round since Trump returned to office, with organizers saying more than 3,300 local events were planned nationwide .

As the shutdown enters uncharted territory, the immediate relief for TSA workers may provide some airport stability, but the underlying political battle over immigration enforcement and government funding appears far from over. With Congress in recess and both sides entrenched in their positions, Americans can expect continued disruptions to government services for the fore