By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
A political battle between President Obama and Republicans over immigration has many observers worried about a Homeland Security shutdown at the beginning of March.
What would that look like?
The National Journal explains:
It’s likely that the majority of DHS employees would still go to work. And the main agency tasked with overseeing the program in question, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is funded through fees rather than appropriations legislation.
It’s not clear that GOP leaders will have much leverage. Aside from the potential political fallout if the department runs out of cash, it turns out that a DHS “shutdown” might be one in name only, and Obama’s executive order might well proceed as planned.
During the October 2013 shutdown, about 85% of DHS workers continued to work, according to a Congressional Research Service report.
A shutdown usually doesn’t affect employees whose salaries come from multiyear appropriations or whose jobs are to save lives, the National Journal wrote.
