What A Day DHS Dysfunction
12 snips
Feb 20, 2026 
Michelle Hackman, immigration reporter for The Wall Street Journal, discusses the DHS partial shutdown and which agencies and operations are actually affected. She breaks down leadership turmoil under Kristi Noem and chaotic personnel moves. She also outlines how future ICE enforcement might shift toward quieter workplace and home raids.
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Political Leverage Behind The Shutdown
- Republicans lack incentive to compromise because summer spending already funded immigration priorities outside the shutdown.
- FEMA still has disaster funds but daily operations and staff pay are disrupted, increasing political leverage.
Monitor Travel Disruptions Closely
- Watch for TSA understaffing and flight delays if the shutdown continues and DHS chooses not to reallocate funds.
- Expect public frustration to rise when travel disruptions make the shutdown tangible.
Pilot Fired Over A Blanket
- Corey Lewandowski allegedly fired a Coast Guard pilot over a missing blanket during a plane switch on Kristi Noem's trip.
- They later had to reinstate the pilot because no one could fly them home.