A sign announces a section of road is closed in Joshua Tree National Park due to a lack of federal funding (MARIO TAMA)

Washington (AFP) – Unstaffed national parks, long lines at airports and assistance for the poorest people threatened: the effects of the partial shutdown of the US government are numerous and no solution is in sight.

– National parks, museums and zoos –

Garbage is piling up around trash cans in national parks that lack federal employees who have been deemed non-essential and are not being paid. In some cases, they have been replaced by volunteers.

Unlike during previous shutdowns, some national parks have remained open even without park rangers to ensure safety.

Entry to such sites, now free, is not without risk for visitors. At least seven people have died in accidents since December 22, according to media reports. To pay employees at the most visited locations, the National Park Services has decided to dip into the budget from entrance fees, usually reserved for financing infrastructure.

The famed Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo in Washington closed to the public on January 2 due to a lack of funding, though some zoo employees are still feeding the animals.

– Bottlenecks at airports –

The shutdown is affecting security operations at airports, where Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees have been deemed essential, but a growing number are calling in sick since they are not currently receiving salaries.

“Call-outs began over the holiday period and have increased but are causing minimal impact … Wait times may be affected depending on the number of call-outs,” a TSA spokesperson said in a statement, adding that wait times are nonetheless “well within TSA standards.”

– Courts impacted –

Courts charged with dealing with immigration cases — already buried under more than a million pending cases — are impacted by the shutdown. While 400 specialized judges continue to review the files of migrants in detention, all other hearings are suspended and court clerks are not working.

– Poorest are collateral victims –

The poorest people are collateral victims of the shutdown, which affects the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the agency responsible for public housing. HUD has asked 1,500 landlords to use their reserve accounts and not evict tenants who are unable to pay their rent.

Food stamps issued by the Department of Agriculture to feed 38 million poor people could also be limited starting in February, with emergency financing covering less than two-thirds of that month, according to media reports.

Native American communities are also affected by the lack of funds for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which provides basic services to nearly two million people, according to The New York Times.

Sharice Davids, a Native American member of Congress representing a district in Kansas, told National Public Radio that a Native American recently died because emergency services had been unable to intervene in time as the road was impassible due to a lack of maintenance.

– Tax refunds threatened –

With close to 90 percent of its workforce on forced leave, the Internal Revenue Service will soon face a flood of paperwork from taxpayers, who have until April to file. 

A delay in refunds could have an impact on both household consumption and the US economy.

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