President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to begin paying all of its employees, offering relief to tens of thousands of workers who have gone more than seven weeks without pay as the partial government shutdown approaches the 50-day mark.
The presidential memorandum directs DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, along with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to ensure that paychecks — including back pay — are issued to affected employees. The move comes as a majority of DHS’s roughly 272,000 workers, many deemed essential, have continued reporting to work without compensation under the agency’s contingency plan.
While some Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees had already begun receiving pay following an earlier executive order, workers at other agencies — including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Coast Guard — have remained unpaid, raising concerns about morale and financial hardship across the department.
In a Thursday post on Truth Social, Trump blamed Democratic leaders for the prolonged shutdown. “Their families have suffered far too long at the hands of the Extreme Liberal ‘Leaders,’ Cryin’ Chuck Schumer and Hakeem ‘High Tax’ Jeffries,” he wrote.
“Nevertheless, 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,” Trump added.
The decision has already had a noticeable impact, particularly at airports where long lines and significant delays had become increasingly common. With TSA workers returning to paid status, pressure on security operations appears to be easing, reducing wait times at some of the nation’s busiest travel hubs.
However, the move may also have broader political implications. By restoring pay to a large portion of the affected workforce, the administration has reduced the urgency for lawmakers to reach a broader agreement to end the shutdown entirely. With both chambers of Congress currently out for Easter recess, negotiations have largely stalled.
Before leaving Washington, the Senate passed a proposal by unanimous consent to fund TSA and other critical DHS agencies, though it excluded funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol — a key point of contention. The House, meanwhile, approved a Republican-backed bill to fund the entire agency at current levels for eight weeks but adjourned without resolving differences.
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