It has been 42 days since Congress voted to block approval of most of the Department of Homeland Security's budget in an effort to force President Trump to curb some of his most extreme immigration enforcement policies. This has resulted in long lines at airports as Transportation Security Administration agents across the country report to work without a paycheck or even without pay. President Trump has ordered DHS to immediately pay the agents without authorization from Congress, an unprecedented use of presidential authority that could lead to a lengthy court battle. However, this move may hinder progress on immigration reforms if it is perceived as a success by millions of Americans as they see the idea of using federal government shutdowns to win partisan policy fights.