The government shutdown is hitting airports - but not ICE

"DHS has gone without funding for four weeks in a standoff over immigration enforcement. Congressional Democrats say the lapse will continue until the White House agrees to a number of changes at ICE and CBP. But while major parts of DHS are affected, ICE and CBP still have plenty of money at their disposal. Trump's signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which passed by the narrowest of margins last fall despite universal Democratic opposition, gave the agencies a combined $170 billion to put towards immigration enforcement through 2029."

"Much of this money went to ICE, which received $45 billion toward the construction of new detention centers and $30 billion to hire and train personnel. The appropriations currently under debate would give ICE additional funding on top of this $75 billion. This kind of multi-year funding is unusual, and it's insulated the agencies from political pressure."

A partial government shutdown has affected the Department of Homeland Security for four weeks due to disagreements over immigration enforcement policies. Congressional Democrats oppose the current approach and seek changes at ICE and CBP. However, the shutdown has minimal impact on immigration enforcement operations because Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocated $170 billion to these agencies through 2029. ICE received $75 billion specifically, including $45 billion for detention center construction and $30 billion for personnel hiring and training. This multi-year funding structure is unusual and protects the agencies from typical political leverage. Meanwhile, TSA and Coast Guard workers face hardship from weeks without pay, causing airport security delays and forcing federal employees to seek food bank assistance.

Read at The Verge