DHS Shutdown: Employees to Receive Back Pay by Week's End

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin promises back pay for all DHS employees by week's end using executive authority, extending Trump's emergency-order approach to address the 52-day shutdown.

Objective Facts

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced on Tuesday April 8 that department employees working without pay for the past six weeks would see the missing payments in their accounts by Friday, telling CBS News "We expect most of those checks to be in their banks by Friday." Some financial institutions may have to wait until Monday, but the majority of employees would be paid by then. The payments are being made possible through executive action and existing funding flexibility, but Mullin warned that future payroll for DHS employees—outside of law enforcement officials—would depend entirely on Congress. The shutdown, now entering its seventh week, is described as the longest in U.S. history and has left multiple DHS components operating without pay. A presidential memorandum signed April 4 directs DHS to issue back-pay to all personnel despite the 48-day appropriations lapse.

Left-Leaning Perspective

Left-leaning outlets and Democratic leaders have framed the executive order as an inadequate workaround for congressional dysfunction, not genuine relief. Reporting notes that Trump's memo builds on an earlier directive and orders the administration to figure out where funding is coming from, while until Congress acts otherwise, DHS lacks the money to make good on the promise. Critics emphasize that the Constitution states "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law" and that such precedent would render this instruction worthless. Democrats contend they have been fighting to show Americans they want obvious, common-sense reforms to ICE and CBP, while Republicans oppose them, and if Republicans fund ICE with "the same kind of chaos, the horror we've seen in Minneapolis, in Portland and in other cities, within ICE and CBP that are lawless, it's on their back." Schumer stated that Democrats have been trying to pay non-enforcement DHS workers for three weeks but Republicans refused, proposing instead to fund all agencies except ICE and CBP until they reform. The left emphasizes that Trump's executive authority to bypass Congress represents a fundamental constitutional violation. Legal experts note that while past presidents have used executive authority in times of emergency, using such power to circumvent the appropriations process is highly unusual and potentially unconstitutional, since Congress holds the "power of the purse." Congressional Democrats are unlikely to challenge the move politically because they risk appearing to block pay for TSA agents, given the political unpopularity of lengthy airport lines.

Right-Leaning Perspective

Right-leaning outlets and Republican leaders frame the executive action as necessary leadership in response to Democratic obstruction, particularly over immigration enforcement restrictions. Trump said congressional Democrats left him no choice, claiming "the Democrats are fully and 100% committed to the Radical Left Policy of Open Borders and Zero Immigration Enforcement... allowing Murderers and Criminals of all types into our Country, totally unchecked and unvetted." Mullin accused "defund-the-police Democrats" of keeping DHS closed to slow ICE's removal efforts and said "Time and time again the Democrats have prioritized violent illegal aliens over American citizens." Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has blamed Republicans for not acting more quickly, and Republicans counter that Republican divisions derailed a bipartisan agreement. Even among Republicans, the most conservative lawmakers seek full funding for all of Trump's immigration operations, with Rep. Scott Perry stating "caving to Democrats and not paying CBP and ICE is agreeing to defund Law Enforcement and leaving our borders wide open again." Right-leaning outlets emphasize the humanitarian cost of the shutdown on workers and frame executive action as appropriate crisis management. Trump's announcement stressed: "I will soon sign an order to pay ALL of the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security. Help is on the way for our Brave and Patriotic Public Servants." A DHS statement thanked Trump and Mullin for their leadership, saying "TSA officers are grateful to President Trump and Secretary Mullin for their leadership to put money back into the pockets of TSA employees."

Deep Dive

The April 8 announcement marks the latest escalation in a seven-week standoff rooted in competing visions for immigration enforcement. The shutdown began February 14 and is now the longest in U.S. history, with the administration attributing the impasse to a lack of agreement in Congress over immigration enforcement funding. Democrats initially refused to renew federal funding for DHS after deadly shootings by immigration agents earlier this year. What began as a policy disagreement over ICE conduct evolved into a question about executive authority when Republicans refused to use legislative pressure on Democrats, prompting Trump to unilaterally fund federal workers. Both sides have legitimate concerns. Democrats correctly identify that two U.S. citizens were killed in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents and argue for basic operational standards. Republicans argue they have the votes and political backing to fund enforcement operations and view Democratic resistance as obstruction. What neither side can cleanly resolve is what Mullin's promise actually means. Mullin explicitly warned that this is "a rifle shot"—a one-time emergency measure—and that future payroll depends entirely on Congress, noting the high cost of DHS payroll every two weeks. This suggests the administration's emergency fund sources are not unlimited. The critical unresolved question is whether Trump can legally sustain this without congressional appropriation. The administration directed officials to figure out where the money is coming from using funds with a "reasonable and logical nexus" to operations, and experts speculate it may include redirecting funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill that was originally designated for border enforcement. Congressional Democrats appear unlikely to sue because they risk appearing to block wages for airport security agents, giving Trump political cover even if the move is constitutionally questionable. The shutdown will likely end when Congress returns mid-April, but the precedent of executive wage-setting during appropriations disputes remains unresolved.

OBJ SPEAKING

← Daily BriefAbout

DHS Shutdown: Employees to Receive Back Pay by Week's End

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin promises back pay for all DHS employees by week's end using executive authority, extending Trump's emergency-order approach to address the 52-day shutdown.

Apr 8, 2026
What's Going On

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced on Tuesday April 8 that department employees working without pay for the past six weeks would see the missing payments in their accounts by Friday, telling CBS News "We expect most of those checks to be in their banks by Friday." Some financial institutions may have to wait until Monday, but the majority of employees would be paid by then. The payments are being made possible through executive action and existing funding flexibility, but Mullin warned that future payroll for DHS employees—outside of law enforcement officials—would depend entirely on Congress. The shutdown, now entering its seventh week, is described as the longest in U.S. history and has left multiple DHS components operating without pay. A presidential memorandum signed April 4 directs DHS to issue back-pay to all personnel despite the 48-day appropriations lapse.

Left says: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer refused to give Trump credit for the order, saying "We've been trying to do it for three weeks and Trump has opposed it. We proposed funding all of those other agencies, not ICE and CBP until they reform, but all the other agencies, and they said no." Critics argue that until Congress appropriates the funds, DHS lacks the money to fulfill the promise, and Trump is setting a dangerous precedent that threatens the balance of power.
Right says: DHS Secretary Mullin pulled no punches dressing down Democrats, saying "They're willing to defund and shut down 22 agencies that are tasked to keep the homeland safe," likening DHS to the Pentagon. Mullin stated that "defund-the-police Democrats" kept DHS closed to slow ICE's efforts to remove criminals, and "Time and time again the Democrats have prioritized violent illegal aliens over American citizens."
✓ Common Ground
Both sides acknowledge that DHS employees have worked without pay for weeks and that some form of payment is necessary and urgent.
Both perspectives recognize that Trump's unilateral action undermined Republicans' negotiating position, as the administration seemed to see TSA crises as leverage before eventually funding workers anyway.
Several lawmakers on both sides recognize that extended shutdowns cause real financial hardship for federal workers. Although federal employees are guaranteed back pay once a shutdown ends due to a 2019 law, missing paychecks still causes immediate financial hardship for many.
Both House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate leaders have announced plans to end the shutdown, and both chambers are returning to Washington the week of April 13 to pursue a solution.
Objective Deep Dive

The April 8 announcement marks the latest escalation in a seven-week standoff rooted in competing visions for immigration enforcement. The shutdown began February 14 and is now the longest in U.S. history, with the administration attributing the impasse to a lack of agreement in Congress over immigration enforcement funding. Democrats initially refused to renew federal funding for DHS after deadly shootings by immigration agents earlier this year. What began as a policy disagreement over ICE conduct evolved into a question about executive authority when Republicans refused to use legislative pressure on Democrats, prompting Trump to unilaterally fund federal workers.

Both sides have legitimate concerns. Democrats correctly identify that two U.S. citizens were killed in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents and argue for basic operational standards. Republicans argue they have the votes and political backing to fund enforcement operations and view Democratic resistance as obstruction. What neither side can cleanly resolve is what Mullin's promise actually means. Mullin explicitly warned that this is "a rifle shot"—a one-time emergency measure—and that future payroll depends entirely on Congress, noting the high cost of DHS payroll every two weeks. This suggests the administration's emergency fund sources are not unlimited.

The critical unresolved question is whether Trump can legally sustain this without congressional appropriation. The administration directed officials to figure out where the money is coming from using funds with a "reasonable and logical nexus" to operations, and experts speculate it may include redirecting funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill that was originally designated for border enforcement. Congressional Democrats appear unlikely to sue because they risk appearing to block wages for airport security agents, giving Trump political cover even if the move is constitutionally questionable. The shutdown will likely end when Congress returns mid-April, but the precedent of executive wage-setting during appropriations disputes remains unresolved.

◈ Tone Comparison

Right-leaning outlets employ stark, accusatory language framing Democrats as blocking border security and prioritizing criminal aliens, while left-leaning outlets emphasize constitutional violation and the dangerous precedent of executive overreach. The right uses phrases like "defund-the-police Democrats" and references to "murderers and criminals," while the left uses legal terminology like "Antideficiency Act" and "power of the purse" to ground their critique in constitutional structure rather than partisan framing.