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About 100,000 employees at the Department of Homeland Security have gone unpaid during the ongoing partial government shutdown, which has stretched to 40 days, according to figures cited by the Washington Examiner.
The department said roughly 38 percent of its 260,000-person workforce has not received a full paycheck since the funding lapse began in February. Many of those employees continue working despite not being paid.
The shutdown stems from a budget impasse in Congress over funding for the department. More than half of DHS workers have been classified as nonessential and placed on unpaid leave until lawmakers reach an agreement.
Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis criticized the stalemate, blaming Democrats for prolonging the shutdown.
“Democrats are shamelessly playing politics with national security and putting a financial strain on DHS workers and their families,” Bis said in a statement to the Examiner. “100,000 DHS employees have missed their first full paycheck.”
Bis said the funding lapse has resulted in about $1 billion in unpaid wages each month and warned that many employees are struggling to meet basic expenses.
“Thanks to the Democrats’ DHS shutdown, these men and women are being forced to work without pay, and many cannot pay their rent, [or] buy food or gas or other essentials,” she said. “The DHS shutdown must end now.”
The Department of Homeland Security oversees nearly two dozen agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
While many of those agencies are considered essential and continue operating during a shutdown, employees typically do not receive pay until funding is restored.
President Trump on Wednesday blamed Democrats for the ongoing shutdown.
“Blame the Democrats for the Airport’s mess. They want our Country to do badly. They want our Country to fail,” he posted to Truth Social. “They broke the already signed Bill because they want to take care of Criminals who enter our Country illegally, rather than American citizens. Thank you to our great ICE Patriots for helping. It makes a big difference. I may call up the National Guard for more help.”
