The federal government shutdown has led to longer wait times at Houston's William P. Hobby Airport due to a staff shortage at the TSA, exacerbated by employees working without pay. The shutdown began on February 14 following a funding impasse for the Department of Homeland Security, affecting agencies like ICE and FEMA, with no clear end in sight.

As Washington faces another deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security, thousands of federal workers—including TSA agents in Houston—could go without pay if a deal isn’t reached by 11 CT PM tonight.

Homeland Security clarifies that ICE enforcement at schools is rare and only targets serious public safety threats, not immigrant students. Houston ISD reports no arrests on campuses.

The partial government shutdown is vastly different from the record closure in the fall.

Texas Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia will call for immediate federal action Thursday in Houston, condemning ICE killings and pushing for legislation to restore local control over immigration enforcement.

ICE said Hector Castillo-Garcia was previously removed from the U.S. three times and has a lengthy criminal history dating back more than 20 years.

The government is encouraging illegal migrants to self-deport using a new app, but a Houston area immigration advocate questions the ramifications.

A Homeland Security memo released earlier this month expands the use of expedited removal and calls for a review of immigrants released into the US under parole programs.

A recently released audit from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General calls for improvements in how the government obtains and validates addresses of migrants released into the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security says Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has tested positive for COVID-19.