Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem warned Thursday that a lapse in funding for her department could disrupt airport security, disaster response and counterterrorism operations, escalating a partisan standoff in Congress over immigration policy.
Senate Democrats demanded stringent reforms to immigration enforcement and blocked multiple attempts Thursday to keep the agency open, though Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only accounts for 11% of the bill’s funding, according to Noem.
Noem’s comments came as she joined U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks and Executive Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Diane Sabatino in Otay Mesa, California, to discuss ongoing drug seizure operations.
Noem accused Democrats of sending “the wrong message,” arguing that failing to fund DHS undermines national security. Democrats have said the dispute centers on immigration enforcement policies, not disaster response or transportation security.
She warned other DHS-funded agencies will see the impacts of the shutdown, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“If we had some kind of an attack or a terrible disaster that hit our country, FEMA is the agency that’s responsible for running our government, for stabilizing our country — and the Democrat Party is choosing not to fund FEMA and putting us in jeopardy in that situation.”
According to DHS, disaster grant funding could be stuck due to the FEMA GO system being offline, National Fire Academy classes will be canceled, and preparedness exercises will be paused nationwide.
The housing market could also see disruptions, as federally-backed mortgages require national flood insurance, managed by FEMA.
Noem added that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees, who keep the skies safe, will not be paid after Friday — leading to increased wait times at airports and safety concerns.
“They’re expected to still show up. How long would you continue to show up for a job that you’re not being paid for,” she said. “These TSA employees just went through a 43-day shutdown where they weren’t paid. How often do you expect these good patriots to keep showing up and to do their job, knowing that their salaries won’t be taken care of and their families’ bills won’t be taken care of.”
The U.S. Secret Service (USSS), which is tasked with protecting current and former administration officials and visiting dignitaries, will also go unfunded, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, which is addressing winter weather impacts on the East Coast.
“The Coast Guard right now is keeping rivers open on the East Coast so that critical food and energy sources can get to our largest cities,” Noem said. “… What you’re saying by not funding the Coast Guard, is that the Democrat Party doesn’t think it’s important that people eat, or that they stay warm, or that our national security is protected.”
“This is a dangerous situation that we’re in, that the Democratic Party has chosen to shut down the department that was created after 9/11. This department was created recognizing that we are vulnerable to terrorist attacks,” she continued. “… We have responsibility for cyber operations … and going after terrorists who would attack our critical infrastructure, our electrical grid, our water systems, that would come in and hack into our intelligence agencies and our national security operations.”
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The Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office lacks legal authority to operate during the lapse, leaving biodetection and mail screening disrupted.
“The Democrat Party is choosing not to fund [DHS] and making us very vulnerable to those terrorists being successful here in our homeland,” Noem said. “I hope that they will come to their senses, recognize that the American people need to come first, and have a policy discussion.”
During Noem’s plea for critical funding, anti-ICE protesters gathered nearby chanting, “shame, shame” through megaphones, while blowing horns.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, released a statement Thursday afternoon, emphasizing the urgency of a deal.
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“There will be a burden shouldered, and the cost will be paid by people who never asked to be part of the fight,” Cole wrote. “… And while all these consequences are slated to start tomorrow at midnight, Senate Democrats are still readying to get on a plane out of town — instead of focusing on completing the job they were elected to do. Flying home or abroad while leaving TSA in limbo isn’t the message of leadership I’d want to send.”
He added the House has “acted in good faith at every turn,” as the House and Senate previously struck a bipartisan and bicameral deal to finalize all Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills.
After helping negotiate the deal, Senate Democrats altered it at the last minute, undermining DHS funding.
“The consequences are real, and the responsibility for them in this moment is clear,” Cole wrote.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus have demanded a list of reforms to ICE.
“The administration doesn’t actually want to reform ICE,” Schumer said. “They never do it on their own. That is why we need — we are fighting for — legislation to rein in ICE and stop the violence.”
The Democratic Strategic Communications Committee did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
