President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will ensure Department of Homeland Security employees left hanging when congressional Democrats went home on vacation will be paid.
Senate Democrats have stalled paying DHS workers as part of their duel with the Trump administration over immigration enforcement. Democrats have refused to sign off on a DHS budget, resulting in an agency shutdown. The shutdown has largely existed on paper because many DHS workers are classified as essential workers.
Because of that, Trump last week issued an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration workers, whose lack of pay was a factor in massive lines at major airports.
However, as NBC News noted, civilian Coast Guard employees, Federal Emergency Management Agency staff, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency workers remained without pay, even as other parts of DHS, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, could tap “Big Beautiful Bill” funding to pay employees.
Enter Trump to the rescue.
“I will soon sign an order to pay ALL of the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security,” Trump wrote in a Thursday post on Truth Social.
“Their families have suffered far too long at the hands of the Extreme Liberal ‘Leaders,’ Cryin’ Chuck Schumer and Hakeem ‘High Tax’ Jeffries,” Trump 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,” he wrote.
Trump applauded the work of GOP leaders developing a longer-term strategy to lock in funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection employees.
“Thank you to all of our Great Congressional Republicans, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Senate Leader John Thune, for their work this week. Republicans are UNIFIED, and moving forward on a plan that will reload funding for our FANTASTIC Border Patrol and Immigration Enforcement Officers,” he wrote.
Congress is worthless. All of them. They cannot even pass the most basic common sense policies there ever has been. We the people should no longer pay their salaries. Especially while DHS isn’t getting paid.
— Trump Train. All Aboard!! (@ScruffMcGruff11) March 31, 2026
Trump said other DHS employees had been penalized by Democrats who were “fully and 100% committed to the Radical Left Policy of Open Borders and Zero Immigration Enforcement (which will hopefully cost them dearly in the Midterms!), allowing Murderers and Criminals of all types into our Country, totally unchecked and unvetted.”
In a news release about Trump’s memo that kicked loose funding for TSA workers, the White House noted the underlying issue requires Democrats to stop playing political games.
“Democrats in Congress must immediately end their shutdown, pass responsible funding legislation, and stop putting political demands over the safety, security, and livelihoods of the American people,” the release said.
Through Democrats’ DHS shutdown, they have solidified their stance as the party of open borders and defunding law enforcement. Today, the Senate sent our bill back to the House to quickly reopen DHS and fund these integral national security agencies. pic.twitter.com/eJiJsEmBpd
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) April 2, 2026
House and Senate Republicans plan to fund ICE and the Border Patrol through the rest of Trump’s term by a process called budget reconciliation, according to ABC News.
That process allows the Senate to pass budget-related matters with 51 votes instead of the 60 votes needed for approval of the full DHS budget.
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