Obama’s former DHS secretary calls to end shutdown, pointing to Iran threat

Jeh Johnson, who served as DHS secretary under President Obama, called on Congress on Thursday to end a government shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security that has persisted for over a month. Johnson urged lawmakers from both parties to pass funding legislation to reopen the agency, citing national security threats including Iran as justification for restoring operations. The plea from a former senior homeland security official underscores the political pressure mounting on Congress to resolve the funding impasse. A prolonged DHS shutdown disrupts critical functions including border security, immigration enforcement, and counterterrorism operations. Johnson's bipartisan appeal suggests consensus among security veterans that the shutdown poses risks to national defense capabilities.