(Reuters) — U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday (February 23) that a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would mean more than 100,000 border patrol, port inspection and airport security agents would be left without a paycheck.
“It will have a direct impact on your economy, and it will have a direct impact on America’s national security because their hard work helps to keep us safe,” Obama said in a speech to a meeting of state governors at the White House.
At the center of the dispute over DHS funding is the issue of immigration as Republicans push to roll back Obama’s executive actions on immigration.
Democrats want to fund the department but oppose House amendments stripping funding from Obama’s 2012 and 2014 executive orders lifting a deportation threat for millions of illegal immigrants. Democrats insist on a “clean” funding bill with no immigration restrictions.
With a Feb. 27 deadline looming for funding the department, Senate Democrats three times this month blocked consideration of the Homeland Security appropriations bill, which has already been approved by the House.
The Republican legislation passed by the House put Senate Republicans in a tough position because not only do they lack the votes to prevent Obama’s fellow Democrats from using procedural hurdles to block the bill but also some Republican senators have expressed misgivings about tying homeland security funding to the immigration issue
