The Department of Homeland Security said Sunday it will shut down several traveler programs and halt some FEMA activity as it moves into emergency operations during a funding lapse that began Feb. 14.
In a statement, DHS said the steps take effect at 6 a.m. ET on Feb. 22 and are aimed at conserving limited funds and staffing while keeping core security functions running. Under the plan, TSA will close PreCheck lanes and route all travelers through standard screening. Customs and Border Protection will stop Global Entry arrival processing at participating airports, directing members to regular primary lanes. DHS also said it will suspend “courtesy” and family police escorts at airports for members of Congress.
FEMA will stop all non-disaster response activities to focus on disaster response, DHS said, citing a winter storm forecast to impact the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blamed Congressional Democrats for the shutdown and said the shutdown could have broader implications. “This is the third time that Democrat politicians have shut down this department during the 119th Congress,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “Shutdowns have real world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security. The American people depend on this department every day, and we are making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians. TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts. FEMA will halt all non-disaster related response to prioritize disasters. This is particularly important given this weekend another significant winter storm is forecast to impact the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States ,” Noem said in a statement. The department said it is making “tough but necessary” workforce and resource decisions until funding is restored.
The funding impasse has centered on negotiations between the White House and Senate Democrats over changes to DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the deaths of two people in Minneapolis during a federal enforcement operation, according to the DHS statement.
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