US President Donald Trump has announced plans to sign an emergency order to compensate thousands of unpaid employees at the Department of Homeland Security. The decision comes after weeks of political deadlock in Congress that has left several agencies without funding since mid-February.
The funding lapse has affected a wide range of civilian personnel across agencies such as the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Many of these workers have gone without salaries for nearly seven weeks. In contrast, uniformed personnel, including Secret Service agents and immigration officers, continued to receive their pay during this period.
While the US Senate has taken initial steps to advance a funding bill that would support DHS operations through 30 September, the House of Representatives has yet to approve the measure. The delay has prolonged uncertainty for thousands of workers and disrupted essential services.
The administration is now exploring alternative measures to release payments. Previously, approved budget provisions could be used to fund salaries through executive action. A similar step was taken earlier this week to ensure payments for Transportation Security Administration staff, many of whom had already begun receiving wages again.
The funding impasse has also affected airport operations. Staffing shortages led to longer wait times and operational challenges at several airports, as absenteeism among TSA workers rose significantly during the shutdown.
The broader political dispute centres on immigration enforcement policies. Lawmakers remain divided over proposed changes to operational guidelines, which has stalled progress on a comprehensive funding agreement for the department.
