The partial government shutdown has just reached day 32, putting it close to the longest partial shutdown in U.S. history, and second longest shutdown overall.
Quick facts:
- The ongoing shutdown (started Feb. 14, 2026), is due to a stalemate between Republicans and Democrats over funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The shutdown means no funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). To name a few, that means no pay for ICE agents, FEMA employees, Coast Guard members or TSA Agents. In total, more than 260,000 federal workers are without pay right now.
- The longest full government shutdown lasted 43 days (Oct. 1, 2025-Nov. 12, 2025).
- The longest partial government shutdown lasted 35 days (Dec. 22, 2018-Jan. 25, 2019), centered around a U.S.-Mexico border wall dispute.
Most people will likely see the impact of the shutdown firsthand at the airport. Franklin Howse said he travels nearly weekly for work and has felt the brunt of it.
“It was crazy actually in Chicago, there were probably 500 people in line,” Howse said. “I actually missed my connection so I had to spend the night in Chicago.”
Why the long lines and delays? That’s because as the shutdown goes on, TSA agents are calling out of work, or quitting all together as they go unpaid for the second time in less than six months.
“They don’t have money for daycare, childcare, gas, food, and many other things,” Johnny Jones, Secretary-Treasurer for the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100 said.
And the long lines you may already see at airports might only get longer as this shutdown goes on. Jones said it is likely that several more agents will make the decision to quit or call out sick to find a different source of income, or take care of their children.
“Without a doubt, those numbers are going to skyrocket like a ship going into the outer space,” he said. “Because eventually, you don’t have any funds, you don’t have a place to live, and you don’t have gas to put in your car.”
Jones said as Republicans and Democrats in D.C. continue to split hairs over funding for the DHS, TSA agents are growing more and more frustrated.
“Regardless of the party, they are blaming both sides,” Jones said. “Because they are not negotiating. And they haven’t even passed a continuing resolution so people can continue to negotiate with the people being paid.”
The bill to fund the DHS has failed to pass the U.S. Senate four times so far.
