WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Polling shows that immigration and border security is the number one issue for voters right now.
That may explain why both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will visit the border Thursday. Congressional leaders say funding for border security is one the biggest challenges that could lead to a government shutdown.
Each time a government shutdown looms, people ask how that would impact border security operations.
QUESTION
Would border patrol agents continue to work during a government shutdown?
SOURCES
ANSWER
Border patrol agents and most ICE employees will keep working without the guarantee of paychecks during a shutdown
WHAT WE FOUND
A government shutdown could occur if Congress does not agree to appropriations bills in the next two weeks. Funding for several federal agencies is scheduled to run out Friday, March 1, including the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs. All other federal agencies are funded through March 8, including the Department of Homeland Security. Congressional leaders announced Wednesday evening that they have reached agreements in principle on six of the 12 appropriations bills. They plan to pass continuing resolutions to briefly extend their deadlines to pass those bills and finalize the other six.
If no funding agreements are reached and signed into law before those deadlines, the agencies are required to furlough their employees. Some are sent home and not allowed to work, while those whose jobs involve what the Office of Personnel Management describes as, “the safety of human life,” or, “the protection of property,” are still called to do their jobs as usual.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) both fall under the jurisdiction of DHS. DHS, like other federal agencies, has written procedures for operations during a lapse in appropriations.
Customs and Border Protection – tasked with securing the border – is the nation’s largest federal law enforcement agency.
As of September, 64,682 people work for CBP and an estimated 60,411 of them are essential personnel who would be excepted during a lapse in appropriations, which amounts to 93% of the agency's overall staff.
ICE, meanwhile, is the entity responsible for the immigrant detention system. It reported having 20,280 employees last September, nearly 83% of whom, 16,764, are considered essential in a shutdown.
The employees would receive the back pay owed to them after the shutdown ends.