DHS shutdown becomes longest in US history as Congress leaves for recess

What happened

The partial shutdown of the US Department of Homeland Security has passed its 50th day, surpassing the 43-day government-wide shutdown of late 2025 to become the longest in American history. Congress left for a two-week spring recess without resolving the standoff.

The Senate will not return until 13 April. The House is scheduled back on 14 April. Neither chamber took action on funding legislation before departing.

Why it matters

More than 100,000 federal workers have gone without regular pay since the shutdown began on 14 February. The dispute centres on Democratic opposition to funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol at levels the Trump administration has demanded.

Nearly 500 Transportation Security Administration officers have resigned since the shutdown started, according to federal workforce data. Thousands more have called in sick at record rates, producing airport security wait times exceeding three hours at some major hubs.

The competing plans

The Senate unanimously passed a bill to fund most DHS agencies except ICE and Border Patrol through September. House Republicans passed a separate 60-day funding measure covering all DHS agencies, but the Senate did not take it up before recess.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced a two-track approach: the House would take up the Senate bill to reopen most of DHS, while a separate party-line reconciliation bill would fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years.

Supporters of the Republican approach argue it secures long-term immigration enforcement funding without giving Democrats leverage to cut it annually. Critics, including Democratic leaders and government employee unions, say the shutdown is punishing federal workers and weakening national security over a political dispute that could be resolved with a clean funding bill.

What happens next

No votes are expected until Congress reconvenes in mid-April. President Trump signed an executive order on 4 April directing DHS to issue back pay to TSA workers, with payments expected as early as 7 April. The order does not resolve the underlying funding dispute.