Posted on October 1, 2025
EL PASO, Texas – The looming federal government shut down should not affect operations at border ports of entry, airports or essential activities at military bases. But many other services that rely on federal funds could be impacted, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said on Tuesday.
“There shouldn’t be any disruptions […] most federal employees will likely be deemed essential workers and that means they will have to go to work and not get a paycheck,” Escobar said.
Federal officials contacted by Border Report late Tuesday afternoon said they expected to be at work on Wednesday and saw no reason for disruptions in border security or processing at the ports. But it wasn’t clear if the shutdown would affect civilian contractors at federal facilities in the El Paso region.
On Wednesday morning, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said on social media there will be no pause in immigration enforcement during the shutdown.
“There is no change to U.S. immigration laws or border enforcement. Rumors that a U.S. government shutdown will allow illegal immigrants to enter the United States are false,” ICE said on X. “Border security and enforcement efforts remain strict, and crossing the border without authorization remains a crime.”
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks added, “Nothing has changed. Do not attempt to enter the U.S. illegally.”
Escobar spoke during an online briefing with reporters on the eve of the government shut down in the absence of a federal spending bill for fiscal year 2026, which begins on Wednesday.
Senate GOP and Democratic members aren’t willing to compromise on health care tax credits or safeguards to ensure President Trump will stick to any spending deals members of Congress were to reach, she said.
“Republicans are poised to do nothing. Those premiums will skyrocket and make health insurance unaffordable,” she said. “We would love to talk to our Republican colleagues, but they are not here to talk or negotiate with us.”
Federal courts remained open during previous government shutdowns, but Escobar said she didn’t know if President Trump would designate their services as essential this time.
“The Administration has tremendous power during a shutdown to determine what is essential and what is not. If a multitude of federal employers are deemed essential and need to report to work, then surely our court system should also be deemed essential,” she said. “If the administration says courts are not essential, that would be crossing a big red line and be very dangerous. My hope courts open like in past.”
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts issued a statement on how a government shutdown at midnight would affect the judicial branch, saying that the Judiciary will not shut down and all Judiciary employees would report to work on Oct. 1, 2025.
“Judiciary operations would continue using court fees and other available balances through Friday, October 3,” the statement read. “We will continue to assess available fees and balances after FY 2025 closes to determine if normal operations can be sustained beyond that date.”
Should fees and balances be exhausted before Congress approves federal funding, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said federal courts would continue operating, but would be limited to “constitutional functions and to address emergency circumstances.”
Escobar touched briefly on the U.S.-Mexico water issue and on binational cooperation on weapons smuggling to Mexico.
She said the administration has kept Democrats in the dark about what’s going to happen on Oct. 25 when Mexico is supposed to liquidate an enormous water debt to the United States. As of last week, Mexico owed at least half of the 1.75 million acre-feet of water it needs to give to the U.S. per a 1944 binational agreement.
Mexican officials have said their country has been in a prolonged drought due to climate change and don’t have enough water to contribute to the treaty. They insist the terms allow them to roll over the debt to the next five-year cycle.
On a recent binational accord to stem the flow of guns purchased in the U.S. and smuggled to the drug cartels in Mexico, Escobar praised the effort. But she said more needs to be done to keep firearms “out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them” in the first place.
That means restricting the manufacture and sale to civilians of firearms only soldiers should use, she said.
