As airstrikes targeted Iranian positions in the wake of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's reported death, thousands of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees were left working without pay. The partial government shutdown has meant officers at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are effectively performing their duties for free, even as the nation faces heightened risk of retaliation.
The situation has sparked sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers, who argue that political disagreements over funding are endangering Americans' security at a critical moment. The partial shutdown exists because Congress has not agreed on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Lawmakers, mainly along party lines, are in a standoff over how much money should go to agencies like ICE and TSA, and what reforms or oversight measures should be included.
