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President Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to sign an order to ensure employees at the Department of Homeland Security are paid while a partial government shutdown continues.
“I will soon sign an order to pay ALL of the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security,” the president wrote on Truth Social, adding that workers and their families “have suffered far too long” during the funding lapse.
“Their families have suffered far too long at the hands of the Extreme Liberal ‘Leaders,’ Cryin’ Chuck Schumer and Hakeem ‘High Tax’ Jeffries. 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 added.
The announcement comes as negotiations in Congress remain stalled over restoring full funding for DHS, with disagreements centered on immigration enforcement and border security spending.
Trump praised Republican lawmakers for advancing proposals to fund border operations and criticized Democrats for opposing provisions tied to enforcement policies. He said frontline personnel, including Border Patrol agents and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, have continued working despite uncertainty over pay.
Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have pushed for legislation prioritizing border security funding. Democrats have resisted some of those proposals, arguing that broader immigration policy changes should be included in any agreement.
“The thing that some people want to do, we can’t do. And so you have to figure out what’s in the realm of the possible and you have to just continue to define reality for people, what’s achievable in the Senate, what we can get done,” Thune said last week.
“There were a number of conversations around it, but I think eventually people started homing in on that this is going to be a path forward that at least is a viable one,” he also stated.
DHS employees, many of whom are considered essential, have continued working during the shutdown without guaranteed pay. Historically, executive actions to address pay during shutdowns have been limited and can face legal and logistical challenges.
Trump’s proposed order signals an effort to provide temporary relief to affected workers amid the broader budget impasse.
