The Department of Homeland Security announced Saturday that it has implemented emergency measures after one week of a government shutdown, citing limited funds and staffing constraints.
DHS implemented the measures at 6:00 a.m. ET on February 22, impacting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
“This is the third time that Democrat politicians have shut down this department during the 119th Congress,” said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “Shutdowns have real world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security. The American people depend on this department every day, and we are making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians.”
FEMA Scales Back To Emergency Operations
DHS placed FEMA into emergency operating status and limited its mission to life-saving disaster response.
Effective February 22, FEMA will:
• Halt all non-disaster-related response efforts
• Pause Public Assistance work for ongoing or legacy disasters
• Suspend long-term recovery, planning, and administrative processing that does not address an imminent threat
• Suspend new initiatives, discretionary programs, pilot efforts, and policy development
• Restrict travel and deployments to active disasters and life-safety emergencies
FEMA stated it “cannot continue normal recovery operations under these conditions and must prioritize only its most critical, life-saving responsibilities.”
TSA Suspends Courtesy Escorts
The Transportation Security Administration also entered emergency operating status and consolidated personnel to focus on screening operations.
Effective 6:00 a.m. ET on February 22, TSA suspended all courtesy escorts at airports, including for Members of Congress.
“All courtesy escorts, including for members of Congress, will cease,” DHS stated.
TSA said it will continue operating TSA PreCheck without changes for travelers.
CBP Halts Global Entry Arrival Processing
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations halted all Global Entry arrival processing at participating airports as of February 22.
CBP will reassign officers previously assigned to Global Entry lanes to general traveler processing.
U.S. citizens and lawful permanent resident Global Entry members must use standard primary processing lanes. Other Global Entry members must use visitor lanes.
CBP also suspended port courtesies for Members of Congress, including escorts and tours, so personnel can focus on essential border security operations.
DHS said a significant winter storm will impact the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast this weekend and emphasized that the department is prioritizing life-safety and national security missions during the funding lapse.
