Heritage Explains Why is the Senate Blocking DHS Funding? | Lora Ries
Mar 18, 2026
Lora Ries, Director of the Border Security and Immigration Center and DHS policy expert. She explains why Senate Democrats are withholding DHS funding and how that tactic aims to pressure ICE reforms. Short scenes cover unpaid TSA and Coast Guard staff, FEMA risks during severe weather, national security vulnerabilities, and debates over enforcement and deportation policy.
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Massive Atlanta TSA Delays And Passenger Chaos
- Travelers experienced massive TSA delays at Atlanta with lines lasting up to three hours and fights breaking out.
- Brinson Hall described almost missing a flight by one minute and reported 95,000–100,000 passengers over a weekend causing chaos at the airport.
DHS Funding Refusal Punishes Other Agencies
- Senate Democrats are refusing to fund the entire Department of Homeland Security to press reforms targeting ICE despite ICE having four years of funding in a separate bill.
- This tactic punishes unrelated DHS components like TSA, Coast Guard, FEMA, cybersecurity, and Secret Service by withholding funding.
Unpaid DHS Staff Are Quitting Or Missing Work
- Not funding DHS means many employees do not receive paychecks even while they continue reporting to work for mission reasons.
- Lora Ries noted some staff are calling in sick or quitting to find paid work, undermining agency operations.