The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) slipped into a partial shutdown at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, February 14 after Congress failed to agree on a full-year appropriations bill. Four days on, immigration and travel-security functions are already feeling the strain.
What is closed and what remains open
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continues to accept petitions funded by user fees, but adjudication times are expected to lengthen as nearly one-third of service-center contractors have been furloughed.
• Consular operations abroad have stopped issuing immigrant visas except in life-or-death emergencies; non-immigrant visa interviews are going forward but cannot be finalized without DHS data-sharing clearances, creating a growing backlog.
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ports of entry remain open because officers are classified as “essential,” yet 95 % are working without pay, raising fears of absenteeism similar to the 2019 shutdown that snarled airports.
Impact on disaster response and business travel
On Tuesday night, FEMA leadership quietly ordered a halt to nearly all staff travel, requiring written justification that a trip is necessary to protect life or property. Internal emails reviewed by the Washington Post show rotation teams stuck at home while 14 active disaster declarations—from the recent Midwest ice storms to California flood recovery—strain already-tired field crews. Corporate travel managers should expect slower turnaround on Trusted Traveler renewals (Global Entry, SENTRI) and export-control license checks that rely on CBP adjudicators.
![Homeland Security Shutdown Enters Day 4, Pausing Most Visa Issuance and Forcing TSA, FEMA Staff to Work Unpaid]()
For individuals and companies scrambling to keep travel plans on track, VisaHQ can step in as an invaluable ally. Through its U.S. portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/), the firm monitors real-time embassy closures, appointment slots, and documentation changes, and it offers courier and pre-screening services that can shave days off processing—particularly helpful while government staff are furloughed and backlogs mount.
Political sticking points
Negotiations collapsed over a 10-point reform package that Democratic leaders say will curb excessive force by ICE and CBP agents, while Republican appropriators seek steeper cuts to asylum processing budgets. With Congress in recess until February 23, observers see little chance of a quick deal. Several moderate Republicans have floated a two-week bridge funding bill; so far House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to allow a vote.
Practical advice
• Employers planning H-1B cap filings (registration opens March 3) should budget extra time for prevailing-wage determinations and LCA postings, which rely on DHS databases.
• Travelers should enroll in CLEAR or hold TSA PreCheck, which historically kept wait times tolerable during the 2019 shutdown.
• FEMA contractors cannot be paid or reimbursed until new funding is enacted; companies with standing task orders should verify cash-flow contingencies.
The longer the stalemate drags on, the more likely it is that unpaid officers will begin to call in sick—creating real-world chokepoints at airports and land borders just as spring-break travel ramps up.
What is closed and what remains open
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continues to accept petitions funded by user fees, but adjudication times are expected to lengthen as nearly one-third of service-center contractors have been furloughed.
• Consular operations abroad have stopped issuing immigrant visas except in life-or-death emergencies; non-immigrant visa interviews are going forward but cannot be finalized without DHS data-sharing clearances, creating a growing backlog.
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ports of entry remain open because officers are classified as “essential,” yet 95 % are working without pay, raising fears of absenteeism similar to the 2019 shutdown that snarled airports.
Impact on disaster response and business travel
On Tuesday night, FEMA leadership quietly ordered a halt to nearly all staff travel, requiring written justification that a trip is necessary to protect life or property. Internal emails reviewed by the Washington Post show rotation teams stuck at home while 14 active disaster declarations—from the recent Midwest ice storms to California flood recovery—strain already-tired field crews. Corporate travel managers should expect slower turnaround on Trusted Traveler renewals (Global Entry, SENTRI) and export-control license checks that rely on CBP adjudicators.
For individuals and companies scrambling to keep travel plans on track, VisaHQ can step in as an invaluable ally. Through its U.S. portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/), the firm monitors real-time embassy closures, appointment slots, and documentation changes, and it offers courier and pre-screening services that can shave days off processing—particularly helpful while government staff are furloughed and backlogs mount.
Political sticking points
Negotiations collapsed over a 10-point reform package that Democratic leaders say will curb excessive force by ICE and CBP agents, while Republican appropriators seek steeper cuts to asylum processing budgets. With Congress in recess until February 23, observers see little chance of a quick deal. Several moderate Republicans have floated a two-week bridge funding bill; so far House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to allow a vote.
Practical advice
• Employers planning H-1B cap filings (registration opens March 3) should budget extra time for prevailing-wage determinations and LCA postings, which rely on DHS databases.
• Travelers should enroll in CLEAR or hold TSA PreCheck, which historically kept wait times tolerable during the 2019 shutdown.
• FEMA contractors cannot be paid or reimbursed until new funding is enacted; companies with standing task orders should verify cash-flow contingencies.
The longer the stalemate drags on, the more likely it is that unpaid officers will begin to call in sick—creating real-world chokepoints at airports and land borders just as spring-break travel ramps up.
