The Department of Homeland Security is asking its workforce to submit short videos documenting how the federal government shutdown has affected them personally, according to the agency's public affairs office.
The request calls for 30-second "selfie videos" from employees, a strategy the department is using to build pressure on lawmakers to reach a budget deal. By collecting firsthand accounts from workers, DHS hopes to illustrate the real consequences of the funding lapse beyond abstract policy discussions.
The move reflects how agencies are attempting to use employee testimonies as leverage during shutdown negotiations. While federal workers are among the most visible casualties of funding lapses—facing delayed paychecks and uncertainty about their jobs—agencies have typically kept public messaging focused on operational impacts.
DHS, which oversees roughly 260,000 employees across agencies like Customs and Border Protection, the Secret Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is one of the largest federal workforces. A prolonged shutdown could disrupt border security operations, airport screening, and other critical functions the department manages.
The video initiative represents an effort to personalize the shutdown experience for decision-makers in Congress, shifting focus from statistics to individual hardship stories. Whether this approach influences negotiations remains uncertain, as lawmakers have previously remained deadlocked over budget disputes that trigger shutdowns.
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