President Donald Trump on Friday issued a memorandum directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to find a way to pay every employee despite an ongoing shutdown that has left thousands without paychecks for almost two months. The shutdown stems from a congressional impasse over the agency’s funding, primarily involving funding for immigration enforcement agencies.
Trump’s memo instructs DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to use available funds “that have a reasonable and logical nexus to the functions of DHS.” The memo does not specify which funding sources will be tapped or provide detailed legal authority for reallocating those funds. The president declared the funding situation an emergency affecting national security and blamed Democrats for delaying resolution.
The directive comes after Trump previewed the move on social media earlier this week, announcing plans to pay all DHS employees. According to the memo, more than 35,000 DHS staff have gone unpaid, including civilian Coast Guard personnel, Federal Emergency Management Agency workers, and employees at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Some DHS employees have continued to receive pay. Active-duty Coast Guard members and Secret Service agents have been paid through previous funding maneuvers. Immigration-related agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), have also been funded through last year’s omnibus spending legislation called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Last week, Trump ordered that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers be paid similarly after staffing shortages led to significant airport delays. The shutdown began in mid-February due to a dispute primarily over immigration policy changes demanded by congressional Democrats following a deadly shooting involving ICE officers in Minneapolis.
Recent bipartisan efforts in the Senate have produced a funding bill covering most DHS operations but excluding ICE and parts of CBP, allowing most of the department to resume work. House Republicans initially opposed this approach but have since signaled they will likely approve the Senate’s partial funding plan. Funding for the excluded immigration agencies is expected to proceed through the Senate’s reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority and no Democratic support.
Why it matters
The shutdown of DHS has disrupted critical homeland security functions and delayed pay for tens of thousands of employees who perform essential duties including border security, disaster response, and cybersecurity. Prolonged funding gaps risk compromising national security readiness and operational stability. Trump’s order aims to mitigate these effects while political negotiations continue in Congress.
Background
The DHS funding stalemate began after Democrats demanded policy reforms regarding immigration enforcement agencies following concerns raised by a deadly incident involving ICE officers. The dispute escalated, halting full agency funding in mid-February. Efforts to resolve the shutdown have focused on separating DHS funding into components, enabling partial funding while contentious immigration provisions are addressed separately.
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