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President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the Department of Homeland Security to find a way to pay tens of thousands of employees who have gone without paychecks during an ongoing shutdown tied to a congressional funding impasse.
In a memo, Trump directed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to “use funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to the functions of DHS,” without specifying the funding sources or legal justification for reallocating the money.
The move comes as the shutdown approaches two months, leaving an estimated 35,000 DHS employees unpaid, including civilian personnel at the Coast Guard and staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
“This callous treatment of DHS employees must end in order to ensure that America is not susceptible to security threats and maintains readiness to respond to emergencies,” Trump wrote, blaming Democrats for the funding lapse. “As president of the United States, I have determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the nation’s security.”
The directive follows Trump’s earlier statement on social media that he would “soon sign an order to pay all of the incredible employees” at DHS.
While many workers have gone unpaid, others within the department have continued receiving compensation as the administration has shifted funds internally. Those include Secret Service agents and active-duty Coast Guard personnel, as well as law enforcement officers at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, which are being funded through prior legislation.
Last week, Trump also directed that officers at the Transportation Security Administration be paid through similar mechanisms after staffing shortages led to long airport security lines.
The shutdown began in mid-February amid a dispute over immigration enforcement policy. Congressional Democrats have resisted approving full funding for ICE and CBP following a deadly shooting involving immigration agents earlier this year, while Republicans have pushed to maintain existing enforcement authorities.
A potential path forward has emerged in recent days. The Senate approved a measure to fund most of DHS operations while temporarily excluding ICE and parts of CBP, allowing large portions of the department to reopen.
House Republicans initially rejected the approach but have since signaled they may adopt a two-step strategy — first passing the broader DHS funding bill, then using the reconciliation process to approve funding for the remaining agencies with a simple majority.
The House has yet to take action on the Senate-passed legislation, leaving the department’s funding — and the fate of thousands of unpaid workers — uncertain.
