President Donald Trump has issued an executive order declaring that all Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees will continue to receive pay and benefits during the agency’s partial shutdown, now in its 49th day.
The Friday, April 4 directive instructs Secretary Markwayne Mullin to “use funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to the functions of DHS” to pay “each and every employee of DHS.”
“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,” the order reads in part.
“Accordingly, I hereby direct the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to use funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to the functions of DHS to provide each and every employee of DHS with the compensation and benefits that would have accrued to them if not for the Democrat-led DHS shutdown, consistent with applicable law, including 31 U.S.C. 1301(a).”
Longest DHS shutdown in U.S. history
The partial closure of DHS has become the longest in U.S. history. Democrats have refused to back a funding bill that includes money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without new guardrails on immigration operations.
Also Read: Top Republican Senator Halts Own Pay as DHS Shutdown Enters Day 39
House Republicans rejected a compromise last week that would have funded DHS while excluding ICE and other immigration enforcement offices.
Although House and Senate Republicans appeared to reach a deal earlier this week, the House took no action when it convened on Thursday, leaving the timeline for passage uncertain.
Trump first signaled his intention to pay DHS workers on Thursday, writing on social media:
“I will soon sign an order to pay all of the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security. Their families have suffered far too long. 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.”
Most DHS employees have continued reporting to work during the shutdown, but many thousands have gone without pay. TSA agents faced mounting frustration, with more workers calling out and causing long waits at airport security checkpoints.
Those bottlenecks began to ease after Trump signed an earlier order ensuring TSA agents received back pay.
About 10,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers are being paid through the non‑lapsing Disaster Relief Fund, though at least 4,000 remain furloughed or working without pay.
Congressional maneuvering
The executive order comes as congressional leaders attempt to break the impasse. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced a two‑track plan earlier this week to reopen the Homeland Security Department.
Also Read: Republican Speaker Swallows Words on DHS Bill He Called ‘Joke’ as It Heads to House
The House is expected to move forward on the Senate‑approved bill that funds most of the department, excluding ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
At the same time, Republicans plan to pursue reconciliation to secure funding for ICE and CBP separately, a process that allows passage with a simple majority in the Senate.
“We appreciate and share the President’s determination to once and for all bring an end to the Democrat DHS shutdown,” Johnson said in a joint statement with Thune.
“In the coming days, Republicans in the Senate and House will be following through on the President’s directive by fully funding the entire Department of Homeland Security on two parallel tracks.”
Johnson emphasized that the plan would ensure federal workers are paid and that immigration enforcement and border security would be funded for the next three years.
