ICE shutdown fight might restrict FEMA, Coast Guard to 'life-threatening' emergencies

Agency heads that operate under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned a shutdown could cripple U.S. readiness across half a dozen areas as the agency looks poised to enter a funding lapse by the end of the week over Democrats' demands to reform immigration enforcement operations.

Five agency leaders delivered that message before the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday.

Lawmakers entertained remarks from the directors of the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Secret Service - all of which receive funding from the DHS bill.

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Across the board, leaders said the shutdown would force the government to focus only on life-threatening missions at the cost of future preparedness.

Admiral Thomas Allen, who oversees the U.S. Coast Guard, said that would force his agency to eliminate much of its current work.

"A lapse in appropriations requires the Coast Guard to suspend all missions except those for national security or the protection of life and property," Allen said.

"A funding lapse has severe and lasting challenges for our workplace, operational readiness and long-term capabilities."

Other agency heads, such as acting TSA Director Ha Nguyen McNeill, echoed Allen's framing, noting the compounding effects of the shutdowns on affected workers.

"Jonathan Abdullahi serves as a lead (technical standard officer) working at Tucson International Airport for eight years," McNeill said, referring to one employee who went through the 43-day government shutdown in October 2025. 

"After missing multiple paychecks, he had no choice but to put everything on his credit cards, even after the government reopened and he received back pay," McNeill said. "He's still playing catch-up financially due to the high interest rates on the cards." 

By contrast, some Democrats argued that, even in the middle of a shutdown, the most essential services would be preserved.

"The reality is that nearly 90% of the department will continue operating, even if Congress fails to complete its work by the end of the week," Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, said of DHS.

Currently, DHS is running off a two-week funding extension lawmakers advanced in late January when an impasse over Democrats' demands threatened a $1.2 trillion spending package.

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In the wake of two deadly confrontations between immigration enforcement and civilians, Democrats say they won't support any DHS funding package that doesn't come with substantive guardrails for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

They've demanded ten specific changes.

Among them, Democrats are asking for a ban on masks, stronger judicial warrant requirements, an end to racial profiling and eliminating paramilitary policing.

Republicans have rebuffed those demands, arguing they would hamper the agency's operations.

Despite Democrat threats of a shutdown to DHS, ICE itself already has received ample funding through Trump's "big, beautiful bill," which became law in July 2025 - enough to fund operations at least into 2027.

"Congress made a historic investment in border security and immigration to the tune of $191 billion" in 2025, Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., said at Wednesday's hearing. "So, we will not focus on ICE and CBP. Those agencies' missions will be largely unaffected by a shutdown."

Instead, Amodei worried that other services like the country's cybersecurity protections could lag.

That's a concern shared by Madu Gottumukkala, the acting director of CISA, who believes the shutdown's effects could extend beyond the government itself.

"I want to be clear. When the government shuts down, cyber threats do not and our adversaries work 24/7," Gottumukkala said.

DEMS' DHS SHUTDOWN THREAT WOULD HIT FEMA, TSA WHILE IMMIGRATION FUNDING REMAINS INTACT

Gottumukkala explained that, like the Coast Guard, CISA's work in a shutdown is restricted to life-threatening situations. He noted that includes the support the agency would normally offer to partners across the country.

"A shutdown would degrade our capacity to provide timely and actionable guidance to help partners defend their networks," Gottumukkala said.

"Even a brief lapse can have lasting consequences on small businesses, federal networks and American taxpayers. The adverse effects of the shutdown are not just felt by our agency alone but extend to the communities we serve."

The life-saving restriction also would apply to FEMA - the country's first line of defense against natural disasters, according to Gregg Phillips, the agency's associate administrator.

Phillips said that's of particular concern to him in the winter. He highlighted some of the work FEMA did during a recent snowstorm in January.

"FEMA funneled critical resources directly into the states in support of governors and emergency managers, staged more than 300 generators, 7 million meals, 3 million liters of water, and 650,000 blankets to sites across the country. FEMA ensured that its 28 urban search and rescue teams were not just on standby but ready for action on day one," Phillips said.

"Had this winter storm happened under a lapsed appropriation, coordination with state partners and movement of resources would have lagged," Phillips said.

The DHS will enter a shutdown by Saturday morning.

Lawmakers are working to hammer out a short-term extension for DHS as negotiations continue, but it is unclear if Democrats will support another stopgap bill.