Overview

• DHS has designated inspection and law enforcement personnel as essential, keeping CBP ports of entry open and ICE arrests and removals active, while auditing work pauses.
• USCIS continues routine, fee‑funded adjudications such as interviews, biometrics and naturalization ceremonies, though certain appropriations‑dependent programs may be suspended.
• E‑Verify is unavailable during the shutdown, with the three‑day case‑creation rule suspended and the timeline for employees to resolve tentative nonconfirmations extended.
• The Labor Department’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification has disabled the FLAG system, halting LCAs, prevailing wage determinations and PERM processing and delaying related employer filings.
• Immigration courts are expected to suspend non‑detained hearings, heightening backlog risks as detained dockets proceed, and most consular visa services continue because they are fee‑funded.