Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to pay all of its employees, giving some relief to tens of thousands of workers who haven’t received a paycheck in nearly 50 days, according to The Hill. The presidential memorandum directs DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and the Office of Management and Budget to issue paychecks, including back pay, to the agency’s entire workforce.
The move affects a massive chunk of the department’s nearly 272,000 employees, most of whom are classified as essential. That means they’ve been required to keep working without pay throughout the partial government shutdown. While most TSA workers had already started getting paid under an earlier executive order from Trump, employees at agencies like FEMA and the Coast Guard had been left waiting.
Trump blamed Democrats for the situation in a post on X on Thursday. He wrote that the families of DHS employees “have suffered far too long at the hands of the Extreme Liberal ‘Leaders,’ Cryin’ Chuck Schumer and Hakeem ‘High Tax’ Jeffries.” He added that “help is on the way for our Brave and Patriotic Public Servants who have continued to work hard and do their part to protect and defend our Country.”
The pay order comes as airports across the country have been dealing with major security backlogs. Lines at some of the busiest hubs have stretched for several hours, a direct result of TSA agents being forced to work without pay.
Lawmakers leave for recess with no deal in sight
While the pay order gives DHS workers some financial relief, it could also reduce the political pressure that often pushes lawmakers to reach a deal. Both the House and Senate are currently out for Easter recess, and there’s no clear path to ending the shutdown anytime soon.
Before leaving, the Senate passed a proposal by unanimous consent to fund the TSA and other critical DHS agencies. But the bill left out funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol — the biggest sticking point in negotiations. The shutdown originally started on February 14 after Democrats demanded major changes to immigration enforcement operations.
On the House side, Republicans passed their own bill before recess. It would fully fund the entire agency, including ICE and Border Patrol, at current levels for eight weeks. A separate Senate bill proposing a two-step plan to end the shutdown was sent back to the House on Thursday morning after a brief pro forma session, but the House didn’t take any action on it.
For now, the shutdown drags on with no end in sight, but at least some of the government’s essential workers will finally see their paychecks.
