The Department of Homeland Security's watchdog said it has been forced to suspend about 85% of its audits, evaluations, and inspections because of a lapse in funding during a partial government shutdown after Congress failed to approve new appropriations.

Senate Democrats last week blocked a House-passed DHS appropriations bill for fiscal 2026 when their demands for changes to immigration enforcement were not met. The 52-47 vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.

The DHS Office of the Inspector General has eight active investigations into the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts, Politico reported Sunday.

The reviews include the use of facial recognition technology and allegations of excessive force by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

Congressional Democrats first asked Joseph Cuffari, the DHS inspector general appointed during President Donald Trump's first term, to investigate the use of force by ICE officers in June.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey of Massachusetts wrote to Cuffari this month asking him to expedite the investigation following the January fatal shootings of anti-ICE protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, according to Politico. The shootings occurred after confrontations with federal law enforcement.

DHS' appropriations measure was carved out of a broader spending package in January to avert a partial government shutdown. The House passed a full-year DHS spending bill on Jan. 22.

Although funding for the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts was set through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, DHS risks losing funds for other agencies if the standoff continues.

Those include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Transportation Security Administration.

"A shutdown is not a strategy — even if Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats treat it like one," Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said Friday in a news release. "It is a setback for national security and for American families. TSA, Coast Guard, and Secret Service personnel will be forced to work without pay.

"FEMA disaster response will slow. Cyber defenses and counterterrorism efforts will weaken. Law enforcement programs that protect children and trafficking victims will be impacted.

"The House acted in good faith and passed a bipartisan, full-year funding bill to prevent this very outcome. We did our job.

"A DHS shutdown doesn't advance oversight or policy — it only shifts the burden onto frontline personnel and the communities they serve. The damage is real, and the nation will feel it."

Democrats have said they will not support DHS funding unless a list of 10 policy demands is met. Those include requiring court-issued warrants for certain enforcement actions, clearer identification requirements for DHS officers, new use-of-force standards, and a ban on racial profiling.

They argue the changes are necessary following the fatal shootings of Good and Pretti.

With Senate Republicans and the White House refusing to budge on several key demands, DHS is likely to remain unfunded for at least 10 days, according to Politico.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has floated the idea of another continuing resolution to extend DHS funding and allow negotiations with Democrats to continue. But Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters last week that the Senate should focus on the House-passed bill.

"Right now, our country faces a pivotal time for our homeland security, and I worry another lapse in funding for the department will have even longer-lasting impacts than the last," Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in the release. "TSA and the Secret Service are preparing for millions of visitors for the World Cup and America 250 celebrations, FEMA is preparing for hurricane season while helping the nation recover from a brutal winter storm, the U.S. Coast Guard is interdicting a record amount of drugs and combating the smuggling of sanctioned oil, and CISA is defending our networks from relentless adversaries while preparing for midterm elections this fall.

"It is unacceptable that many of these frontline personnel could lose their paychecks for the second time in six months because of Washington's dysfunction. The resilience of our transportation systems, critical infrastructure, emergency response, and more should not be held hostage by partisan politics."