44 Days and Counting: Inside the Longest Partial Shutdown in US History

The United States is in the grip of its longest partial government shutdown in history - and there is no clear end in sight.

What began as a political standoff over funding for the Department of Homeland Security has now spiralled into a full-blown national crisis, with ripple effects felt at airports, emergency agencies, and kitchen tables of federal workers across the country.

What is a partial government shutdown?

A partial government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass funding for specific departments or agencies, forcing them to operate without budgets.

Unlike a full shutdown, other parts of the government continue functioning normally.

In this case, the Department of Homeland Security - and everything under its umbrella - has been left without authorised funding since 14 February.

Why has this government shutdown made US history?

The partial shutdown reached 44 days, surpassing the previous longest funding lapse, which reportedly ended in November 2025.

That makes the current standoff the longest partial government shutdown in American history - a record that reflects the extraordinary degree of dysfunction in Washington right now.

What triggered this shutdown in the first place?

The standoff centres on funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the TSA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and FEMA - the country's primary disaster response agency.

Democrats have refused to fund the department without reforms, including bans on ICE agents wearing masks and protections against racial profiling.

Republicans, meanwhile, want full DHS funding tied to Trump's immigration agenda, with no strings attached.

How bad has the chaos at airports actually gotten?

TSA call-out rates hit a record 12.1% as of March 30, with 500+ resignations since February causing lane consolidations at major hubs like JFK and LAX, pushing wait times past four hours.

ICE agents have reportedly been deployed to airports to help manage the situation - and according to White House border czar Tom Homan, they will remain "until the airports feel like they are 100%."

Is anyone getting paid - and who is stepping in?

President Trump signed an order on March 27 to pay TSA agents using existing DHS funds.

While Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed payments would begin by March 30, House Democrats are challenging the move, calling it an unconstitutional power grab over the Treasury.

What is Congress actually doing about it?

Lawmakers failed to agree on a deal on Friday to reopen the DHS. The US Senate passed a compromise bill that would partially fund the department to ease airport delays, but House Republicans rejected it and instead voted for a short-term full-funding measure - one the Senate is not expected to pass.

Adding to the stalemate: Congress has since left Washington for a two-week break.

Why can't Republicans and Democrats just agree?

The stalemate centres on the “Alex Pretti” reforms. Democrats want DHS funding tied to new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and ICE rules - including mandatory body cameras and a ban on masked agents.

Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, have dismissed these as “poison pills” that would “neuter” law enforcement, pushing instead for a clean, full-funding bill.

When will this government shutdown actually end?

There is, as of now, no end in sight. President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he was prepared to "pay them [TSA agents] for as long as we need to," while simultaneously urging Congress to pass a funding bill.

Until legislators return from recess and find common ground - something that has so far proved impossible - the partial government shutdown and its consequences for millions of Americans look set to continue.

(With inputs from yMedia)