The Department of Homeland Security is now facing the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history. The shutdown, affecting the fourth-largest federal agency, entered its sixth week on Sunday. If it continues beyond this weekend, it will surpass the previous record of 43 days, which ended late last year. DHS employs nearly 194,000 people, or 9.4% of the federal workforce, making this shutdown a major disruption to government operations. The shutdown has hit the Transportation Security Administration especially hard. On Friday, more TSA workers missed shifts than on any previous day of the partial government shutdown. Airports across the country, including Baltimore, Houston, and New York, reported hours-long lines, while some smaller airports experienced fewer issues. Lauren Bis, a DHS spokesperson, said over 3,560 TSA workers, or 12% of the agency’s workforce, called out on Friday. More than 500 employees have resigned, while thousands missed work because they could not afford essential costs like food, rent, or childcare. Since the shutdown began, over 480 TSA staff have left permanently. Late Friday, former President Donald Trump signed a memorandum instructing DHS to restore pay for TSA employees. These workers have now missed two paychecks. The memo directs DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to use funds “that have a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations” to pay salaries and benefits as if no shutdown had occurred. White House border advisor Tom Homan called the move “a start” toward ending the crisis. He said the plan aimed to pay TSA agents by Tuesday. Homan added, however, that paying TSA staff is only part of the problem. Thousands of other DHS employees remain unpaid, and the status of ICE agents deployed at airports is still under review. Homan confirmed ICE officers will continue to assist at airports until TSA operations return to normal. “We need to secure those airports. ICE is there to help our brothers and sisters in TSA. We’ll be there as long as they need us,” he said on CBS’ Face the Nation. The shutdown persists amid political disputes in Congress. The House recently rejected a Senate bill to fund most of DHS, including FEMA and the Coast Guard, while excluding ICE and border patrol. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the Senate proposal a “gambit.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said the bill defunded 25% of the department’s operations, a concern during a heightened threat period. Scalise added the House’s alternative was short-term but ensured workers would get paid. American Federation of Government Employees president Everett Kelley criticized Congress, highlighting that the spring break recess leaves no chance for a deal until April. Airline and airport leaders are urging lawmakers to act quickly. The Modern Skies Coalition called on Congress to end the crisis using any legislative option. Chris Sununu, president of Airlines for America, stressed that lawmakers are ignoring three bipartisan bills that could restore normal operations and prevent further chaos. Law professor Eric Chaffee of Case Western Reserve University noted that any short-term solution would need strong public support to become a lasting fix. He said the current polarized political climate makes long-term resolution uncertain. The DHS partial government shutdown continues to impact federal employees and travelers alike. With no resolution in sight, major airports remain crowded, and TSA staff shortages are creating widespread disruptions.