DHS funding is set to lapse, and a partial government shutdown would split the department between “excepted” operations that keep running and “non-excepted” functions that pause—potentially furloughing thousands of employees across headquarters and support offices while frontline security missions continue.
- Border and security operations would largely continue. DHS components tied to national security and protection of life and property would keep operating during a shutdown, according to The Hill, citing DHS shutdown planning.
- Many employees could be required to work without immediate pay. “Excepted” personnel would generally remain on the job during a funding lapse and receive back pay once appropriations are enacted, as shutdown rules have operated in past lapses.
- Some offices would shut down or scale back. Administrative, training, travel, procurement, and other support functions may be curtailed, and non-excepted employees could be furloughed, The Hill reported.
- Pay and leave impacts can be immediate. Furloughed employees typically cannot work (including checking email) and may face delayed pay; excepted employees may work but still face delayed pay until funding is restored.
- The fight is tied to DHS and ICE policy demands. The Hill reported that the political impasse centers on DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-related policy changes being sought as part of a stopgap funding deal.
- A continuing resolution (CR) could avert disruptions—but may include policy riders. The Hill’s report focused on how shutdown planning intersects with negotiations over a short-term funding patch and immigration enforcement provisions.
Brief context
DHS is funded through annual appropriations, and if Congress and the White House do not enact either full-year funding or a continuing resolution before the deadline, the department must execute shutdown contingency plans. In practice, DHS typically designates large portions of its workforce as excepted due to homeland security missions, while other functions—particularly administrative and program support—may be furloughed.
For employees, the biggest near-term effect is whether you are classified as excepted (required to work) or non-excepted (furloughed). Your component should issue written guidance identifying your status, reporting requirements, and limits on work activities during a lapse. For general shutdown pay and leave rules that often apply across agencies, see FedBrief’s explainer: https://fedbrief.org/
Source: The Hill — “Here’s how a shutdown will affect DHS agencies” (https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5734644-heres-how-a-shutdown-will-affect-dhs-agencies/)