King-Hinds warns DHS funding impasse hitting CNMI workers, projects

Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds is warning that a funding impasse affecting the Department of Homeland Security is already being felt by workers and communities in the Northern Marianas.

In a social media update shortly after returning to Washington, D.C., King-Hinds said she has been hearing directly from Transportation Security Administration officers, Coast Guard families, and those tied to Federal Emergency Management Agency projects.

“Over 100,000 workers are either working without pay or furloughed,” she said, noting that TSA officers remain on duty at airports while Coast Guard personnel continue operations and FEMA-related projects face delays.

King-Hinds said DHS is currently the only federal department without funding, describing the situation as a standoff between Republicans and Democrats over immigration policy.

“It’s important people understand this isn’t just about funding. It’s about policy differences on immigration,” she said.

She explained that while Republicans have passed a funding bill, Senate Democrats are seeking changes to immigration enforcement involving agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol—conditions Republicans are unwilling to include.

The delegate said the impact is already visible, citing longer airport lines, delays, and mounting pressure on federal workers.

For the CNMI, she said, the situation hits especially hard given the islands’ reliance on travel and disaster assistance.

“Projects that our communities are counting on… [are] put on pause, not because the work isn’t needed, but because the funding situation is unresolved,” she said.

King-Hinds urged lawmakers to separate policy disputes from funding responsibilities.

“We should be able to do both—work through policy disagreements and make sure the people doing the work and the projects our communities rely on keep moving,” she said.

She added that the immediate priority is to restore funding, pay affected workers, and resume stalled projects.