More than 70 percent of the Department of Homeland Security’s employees would continue to work if the government shuts down on Sunday although they will do so without pay, the department said on Thursday.
The 72 percent–more than 185,000–of DHS employees required to work through a shutdown include Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol agents and Office of Field Operations Officers, Coast Guardsmen, customs enforcers, and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.
DHS warned that a shutdown could lead to longer wait times at airports based on impacts from previous shutdowns and that there could also be delays in the deployment of new security screening equipment to airports.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) would take a big hit in the event the government closes, with just 18 percent, or 571 of its 3,117 employees, workforce required to remain on the job.
“During today’s heightened cyber threat environment, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s capacity to provide timely and actionable guidance to help partners defend their networks could be degraded,” DHS said. “CISA would also be forced to suspend both physical and cybersecurity assessments for government and industry partners, including election officials as well as target rich, cyber poor sectors like water, K-12, and healthcare, which are prime targets for ransomware.”
A shutdown will also hinder hiring, DHS said. As of last week, nearly 2,500 candidates have accepted job offers but the onboarding process would cease until the government reopens.
“This is particularly problematic ahead of the holiday travel season, where more TSA Officers will be needed to screen travelers,” DHS said.
The federal government’s fiscal year ends Saturday at midnight and unless Congress can agree to either a continuing resolution or budget, fiscal year 2024 will begin on Oct. 1 without any funding.