DHS shutdown 'all but certain' as senators prepare to skip town: report
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem holds a press conference, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo
February 12, 2026
A partial government shutdown is considered "all but certain" after senators said they were preparing to leave Washington, D.C., for the week.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) confirmed to PBS correspondent Lisa Desjardins that senators were leaving town without passing a funding bill to keep the Department of Homeland Security open. Some agencies, like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), were expected to continue operating because of funds allocated by a Republican tax bill passed in 2025.
Collins said that there would be an attempt to pass DHS funding through a unanimous consent request, but Desjardins expected it to fail.
Democrats have said they would not support the status quo on ICE operations.
“The Republicans are in a bubble and do not understand the depth of the anger out there in the world, and maybe this break will allow them to go home and get yelled at, “Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) observed.
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