Billions frozen, TSA workers unpaid as DHS funding lapse persists

Billions of dollars in approved disaster and public safety payments now sit frozen while thousands of TSA screeners and FEMA disaster workers continue to operate without pay as a partial Department of Homeland Security funding lapse persists. The impasse began early Saturday and remained in effect through Feb. 18, 2026, after Congress failed to pass a DHS funding bill or clear a short-term extension.

TSA employees are on duty at airports nationwide but are not receiving paychecks. Union leaders warn that repeated missed pay periods could produce rising absenteeism and service disruptions. Joseph Groover, first vice president of AFGE Local 556, described the toll on workers: "It’s taxing and it’s exhausting. People are definitely discouraged, they are still showing up because, I mean it is a job, it is what we all signed up to do, but they are definitely getting discouraged." Groover said many members are still recovering from financial damage inflicted by a 43-day government shutdown in fall 2025 and that it "was about 56 days before people started getting paid."

FEMA has continued mission-essential, life-saving operations for active disasters, but routine grant processing and some administrative functions have been curtailed. Agency officials say personnel funded through the Stafford Act and the Disaster Relief Fund can continue to respond to emergencies. Former FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said, "In most cases, FEMA’s ability to deploy staff to active disaster response and recovery operations is not impacted by a DHS funding lapse… Those personnel are funded through the Stafford Act’s Disaster Relief Fund, which is specifically designed to ensure continuity of operations during emergencies."

At the same time, FEMA’s grant system is not fully operational during the lapse, preventing some payments from being processed and leaving "billions of dollars in approved funding temporarily frozen," money intended for firefighters, police departments and emergency managers. FEMA spokesperson Daniel Llargués emphasized priorities: "During a funding lapse, FEMA prioritizes life safety and property protection. FEMA continues mission-essential operations for active disasters, including immediate response and critical survivor assistance. While some nonessential activities will be paused or scaled back, FEMA remains committed to supporting communities and responding to incidents like Hurricane Helene."

The funding gap has produced operational friction. FEMA regional officials complain that DHS-imposed travel and approval requirements for staff deployment slow responses and complicate logistics. Emails and internal documents require FEMA officials to submit justifications to DHS headquarters to certify whether travel is "mission essential" and tied to the safety of human life or protection of property.

The political standoff centers on immigration enforcement reforms. Senate leaders failed to clear a 60-vote threshold on a DHS appropriations measure in a 52-47 vote, with John Fetterman the lone Democratic senator to back the bill. Democrats have pressed for measures including judicial warrants for certain arrests, limits on roving patrols and removal of masks for ICE agents. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries framed the demands bluntly: "ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) needs to be reformed in a dramatic, bold, meaningful and transformational manner, and if that doesn't happen, the DHS funding bill will not move forward."

Not all DHS functions are equally exposed. Immigration enforcement by ICE and Customs and Border Protection is likely to continue drawing on carryover funding from last summer’s omnibus, while TSA, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service face growing payroll uncertainty if the lapse continues. Local governments and public safety agencies are already feeling the strain of frozen reimbursements and grants, a cash-flow risk that could affect frontline services if Congress does not act quickly.

Lawmakers have left Washington for at least a week, narrowing immediate options to resolve the lapse. The longer the disruption continues, the greater the risk of degraded travel security, slowed disaster recovery payments and mounting financial distress among federal workers who have repeatedly been asked to labor without pay.