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As the federal government heads toward a potential shutdown starting Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security assured that immigration and border operations will continue but said frontline employees could be working without pay.
DHS noted in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration will continue their “critical functions,” including ICE being able to “arrest and deport violent criminal aliens” and CBP being able to “screen goods and people” entering the U.S.
The agency also noted that the officer hiring processes will still continue, including for recruitment.
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“While these critical operations continue, Democrats are forcing many of our nearly 200,000 frontline officers, emergency responders and employees to continue secur[ing] the Homeland without pay,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
“Far-left politicians demonize our employees every day, which has led to a 1,000% increase in assault[s] on our law enforcement. Now they are holding hostage their family’s finances and jeopardizing their welfare. This is unacceptable.”
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As of Tuesday afternoon, a government shutdown seems likely and would be the first since the end of 2018 and entering 2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term. There were also lengthy shutdowns during the Obama and Clinton administrations.
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“The Trump administration wants a straightforward and clean CR to continue funding the government – the exact same proposal that Democrats supported just six months ago, 13 times under the Biden administration. But radical Democrats are threatening to shut the government down if they don’t get their nearly $1.5 trillion wish list of demands, including free health care for illegal aliens,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated.
“The Democrat’s radical agenda was rejected by the American people less than a year ago at the ballot box. Now they’re trying to shut down the government and hold the American people hostage over it.”
Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress have said Republicans should bear the blame for the shutdown.
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“Republicans would rather shut down the government than protect the Affordable Care Act. A shutdown puts ACA tax credits at risk—and in Texas, premiums could jump 289%, costing families $459 more each year,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, posted to X Tuesday.
“They passed up multiple chances to extend them in the Big Beautiful Bill; they chose not to. Families shouldn’t have to pay the price for their political games.”
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