Shutdown Day 1 Evening Update: E-Verify Offline, Parks Scaled Back, Senate Stalemate; Courts Funded Through Oct. 17
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK - The first day of the federal funding lapse closed with clearer operational impacts across immigration and public services, even as Congress remained stuck. The Senate failed to advance competing stopgap measures, leaving no immediate path to reopen the government.
Hiring & immigration: The E-Verify website now carries a shutdown banner stating that, "due to the lapse in federal funding," the system is unavailable and employers cannot access accounts. Form I-9 obligations remain in force, but E-Verify case creation must wait until service is restored. Practitioner alerts continue to advise keeping detailed hiring records to backfill cases once the system returns.
At the Department of Labor, the agency's shutdown contingency plan outlines the suspension of non-excepted activities. In past lapses this has meant that immigration workflows handled by OFLC/FLAG (LCAs, prevailing wage, PERM) pause; early law-firm guidance today signaled employers should expect those functions to be unavailable again. Time-sensitive steps tied to DOL certifications may need rescheduling in consultation with counsel.
Courts: The federal judiciary confirmed it can continue paid operations through Oct. 17 using fee balances and other non-appropriated funds, though civil matters may slow while essential criminal proceedings continue.
Parks and public sites: The National Park Service contingency plan anticipates keeping roads, trails and open-air memorials accessible while closing staffed facilities; local reports today showed variations by site as skeleton crews handled safety and sanitation. Visitors should check park pages for on-the-ground updates.
Bottom line for tonight: Employers should proceed with on-time USCIS filings (fee-funded work continues) while documenting I-9 steps and preparing to backfill E-Verify. DOL-dependent actions face delays; courts stay open on paid operations until Oct. 17; and park access is mixed with many buildings closed. Watch agency pages and counsel alerts for catch-up instructions once funding resumes.
