TUCSON — Art Del Cueto is the Vice President of the National Border Patrol Council. He’s based in Southern Arizona.

On Thursday, Del Cueto stood behind President Donald Trump in the White House Briefing Room as the president discussed his desire for billions of added dollars in border security funding.

On Friday, News 4 Tucson caught up with Del Cueto as he was just returning home.

“It has nothing to do with what side of the aisle you’re standing on,” Del Cueto said. “Everyone wants security for the nation’s borders. Everyone wants to feel secure at home.”

As the shutdown goes into its third week, hundreds of thousands of federal employees are either furloughed or working without pay.

“I’m one of those individuals,” Del Cueto said. “I have skin in the game. I’m one of the individuals that is going to be missing that paycheck.”

Democrats say in order to get serious about border security funding, Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill must compromise.

“Well, we told the president we needed the government open, he resisted,” Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. “In fact he said he’d keep the government closed for a very long period of time, months or even years.”

Del Cueto argues his biggest priority is his fellow agents and he believes this stalemate is bigger than politics.

“I trust that this shutdown will not last long,” he said. “I don’t think it just falls on the president. Congress and the Senate need to come to an agreement that will push us forward to the future with securing our borders.”

Saturday marks day 15 of the shutdown. The longest government shutdown is 21 days back in 1995-1996