Funding for the Department of Homeland Security has lapsed, triggering a shutdown of the agency after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a deal on immigration law enforcement in negotiations that have involved the White House.

The Feb. 14 lapse in appropriations came after senators departed Washington on Feb. 12 following final votes. With no agreement in sight, the lawmakers are not set to return until Feb. 23.

Some flew to Europe for the Munich Security Conference, including a formal delegation of both Democratic and Republican senators.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has said a deal is “not close,” despite extensive negotiations between Democrats and Republicans on the issue over the past two weeks.

The shutdown affects several major DHS subsidiaries, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA).

Earlier this month, Congress passed legislation finalizing funding for 96 percent of the government through Sept. 30 of this year. As part of that package, funding for DHS was extended until Feb. 13.

After that bill was finalized, lawmakers immediately dove into negotiations related to the DHS bill as Democrats demanded sweeping changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a subsidiary of DHS, and other federal immigration enforcement agencies.

However, progress in those talks has been slow.

On Feb. 5, Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), the lead Republican negotiator in the Senate, complained to reporters that the only response Republicans had received from Democrats at that time was via social media.

Although Republicans and the Trump administration have signaled openness to some changes and ended the immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis, Democrats have voiced dissatisfaction with an offer from the White House that only came on Feb. 11, saying it does not include the kind of reforms they have demanded as a condition for their support.

On Feb. 12, the Senate rejected a last-ditch effort to provide full-year funding to the agency.

On Feb. 13, hours before funding was set to lapse, President Donald Trump commented on the negotiations.

“We’re talking, but, you know, we have to protect law enforcement,” he told reporters before questioning the safety of cities led by Democrats.

In a 52–47 vote that fell short of the required 60-vote threshold, all Democrats except Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) voted against the measure. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) missed the vote.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced on social media that Democrats would oppose the measure and criticized federal immigration operations.

“The Republican bill on the floor allows ICE to smash in doors without warrants, to wear masks and not be identified, to use children as bait for their parents, no oversight,” Schumer said in a video posted to X. “We are keeping our word: No funding for ICE until it is reined in; no funding until the violence ends.”

Democrats also shot down a bid by Britt to extend DHS funding for two additional weeks. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), another negotiator, blocked the unanimous consent vote.

On Feb. 12, Murphy expressed openness to one possible deal floated by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee: funding most of DHS through another funding patch while splitting off ICE and Customs and Border Protection for additional negotiations.

“That might be something we have to talk about,” Murphy told The Epoch Times.

Concerns about immigration enforcement activity in Minneapolis reached a peak after two protesters, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, both American citizens, were fatally shot in separate incidents by federal immigration agents in the city.

Following Pretti’s shooting, Schumer released a statement vowing that Democrats would not vote to fund DHS until reforms to federal immigration enforcement were made.

Although ICE is at the center of the funding dispute, its activities are unlikely to be substantially affected by the shutdown.

That’s because last year, Republicans authorized $75 billion in funding over four years for the agency, meaning it has the funds to continue its operations independently of broader DHS funding.

In addition, most ICE agents are considered essential to national security, meaning they will continue to work during a partial shutdown.

Instead, the shutdown will have a greater effect on agencies such as the TSA and FEMA.

During a shutdown, the TSA will continue to operate with essential personnel, such as airport security personnel, who are mandated to come to work.

However, employee absenteeism among TSA staff historically rises during government shutdowns, as essential employees go unpaid. That can result in longer security lines and wait times at the airport.

FEMA oversees emergency response to major disasters in the United States, and although it has a $7 billion contingency fund, administrators have told Congress that a catastrophic disaster could test the limits of that fund if a shutdown persists.

Amid the collapse of DHS funding talks ahead of a shutdown, some lawmakers departed Washington for Germany, the site of the annual Munich Security Conference.

Although the House dissolved its formal delegation to the major international security gathering, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) headed to the conference, where she delivered remarks on stage.

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) led a bipartisan Senate delegation, named CODEL McCain, to Munich.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) joined them on the junket.

A spokesperson for White House confirmed to The Epoch Times that Senate leadership has authorized the trip.