US Government Shutdown: Immigration Services Partially Impacted
The US government has entered a shutdown as of midnight Eastern Time on October 1, 2025, due to the Senate's failure to pass a spending deal. This shutdown will impact federal agencies involved in immigration in varying ways.
During the shutdown, many federal agencies have been ordered to implement an orderly shutdown, halting non-essential services and stopping paychecks for many government employees. However, essential services continue to operate. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is considered essential, so arrests, raids, and deportations will continue. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) law enforcement functions will also continue, but some support staff may be furloughed.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) for foreign students will continue without disruption in enrollment or status. However, non-detained case hearings in immigration courts are likely to be suspended, potentially causing larger backlogs. The E-Verify system could pause, requiring employers to manually verify documents, though USCIS may provide alternative methods. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will continue interviews, naturalisation ceremonies, and biometrics processing, with around 1% of staff potentially being furloughed.
The shutdown, caused by a stalemate between Democratic senators and House Republicans over spending deal terms, is expected to impact thousands of federal employees and services. While essential immigration services will continue, many non-essential services and public access to government services will be disrupted, with potential long-term effects on backlogs and processing times.
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