Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a motion to advance legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), increasing the possibility of another partial government shutdown. In a 52-47 vote, the motion failed to advance. 60 votes are required to advance the funding bill. The partial shutdown, which would only impact DHS, would affect approximately 260,000 federal employees. “Democrats say this is about ICE. It’s not. ICE is fully funded. A DHS shutdown would instead stop disaster relief, disrupt TSA, and impede Coast Guard operations. Chaos for the American people just so Democrats can try to make a point,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said. Democrats say this is about ICE. It’s not. ICE is fully funded. A DHS shutdown would instead stop disaster relief, disrupt TSA, and impede Coast Guard operations. Chaos for the American people just so Democrats can try to make a point. pic.twitter.com/qSkHd4YGWA — Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) February 10, 2026 The Hill explained further: Centrist Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who has a long-standing policy of voting against government shutdowns, was the only Democrat to vote for advancing the measure. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) voted no for procedural reasons to be able to bring the bill back to the floor quickly at a later date. Shortly after, Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) attempted to get unanimous consent to move a two-week stopgap bill, but Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) objected. Democrats blocked the legislation after rejecting an offer from the White House they said didn’t go far enough to reform immigration enforcement operations after the fatal shootings of two protesters in Minneapolis last month. As a result, funding for key agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Coast Guard will lapse Saturday without further action from Congress. The agencies that are the main targets of Democratic fury, however, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), will be able to continue operations without much disruption. “Despite what Democrats argue, a shutdown would not significantly impact ICE functions due to funding from the Big, Beautiful Bill. Instead, shutting down DHS would undermine national security. Congressional Democrats need to stop playing games with the safety and security of our nation,” DHS stated. -.@USCG–@CISAgov –@TSA–@FEMA–@SecretService–@USCIS–@CBP–@ICEgov DHS KEEPS AMERICANS SAFE. Despite what Democrats argue, a shutdown would not significantly impact ICE functions due to funding from the Big, Beautiful Bill. Instead, shutting down DHS would undermine… pic.twitter.com/MRJjRleusn — Homeland Security (@DHSgov) February 12, 2026 Axios has more: Like past government shutdowns, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) would be directly impacted — which could ultimately lead to airport delays and flight cancellations. During a shutdown, TSA workers are required to show up without earning pay. This has led to low morale and more absences for TSA agents, ultimately leading to longer wait times at security checkpoints for travelers. TSA acting administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said Wednesday at a hearing on funding that shutdowns have “a cascading negative impact on the American economy.” About 1,100 officers left the TSA during the government shutdown last fall, per the agency. That’s more than a 25% increase from the same time in 2024. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) would largely suspend operations during the shutdown. CISA largely helps state and local officials monitor their networks. CISA would only keep open functions needed for the safety of human life and property protection — like maintaining 24/7 operation centers and monitoring cybersecurity shared services, as well as watching for any imminent threats.