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By Peter Aitken and Gabe Whisnant
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President Donald Trump said Thursday he would sign an emergency order directing the Homeland Security secretary to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration employees as Congress struggles to resolve a budget impasse that has snarled airports and left workers without pay.
Trump announced the decision in a Truth Social post, saying the move was aimed at quickly ending what he described as “chaos at the airports.”
“It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it!” the president wrote.
Read More on Politics
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by email on Thursday for comment.
Why It Matters
DHS has remained under a funding freeze that emerged from a prolonged political standoff in Congress, driven primarily by Democratic opposition to continued funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without reforms. Senate Democrats refused to pass DHS appropriations unless the budget was rewritten to address concerns over immigration enforcement practices, particularly after federal agents fatally shot U.S. citizens during enforcement operations earlier in 2026.
As the funding lapse dragged on, growing operational disruptions have plagued DHS agencies, especially at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). TSA officers—classified as essential workers—were required to continue reporting to work without pay, and by mid‑March, thousands missed their first full paycheck.
Negotiations to end the funding freeze have repeatedly stalled as the Senate failed multiple times to advance DHS funding bills due to the lack of bipartisan agreement. Democrats continued to insist on ICE reforms as a condition for restoring funding, while Republicans and the White House pushed for reopening DHS without those restrictions.
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What To Know
Trump used his post to once again criticize and blame the Democrats for the funding shortfall, accusing the party of being "on the side of criminal illegal aliens, and not the American people."
"They are refusing to fund Immigration Enforcement unless the Republicans agree to their Open Border Policies, which will never, ever happen again," Trump wrote, adding, "Because the Democrats have recklessly created a true National Crisis, I am using my authorities under the Law to protect our Great Country, as I always will do!"
The president concluded in his post, "I want to thank our hardworking TSA Agents and also, ICE, for the incredible help they have given us at the Airports. I will not allow the Radical Left Democrats to hold our Country hostage any longer."
Trump made no clarification on the timeline for these payments, or whether they will include payment for the missed paychecks, or where the funding will come from.
Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a Republican, earlier this week accused Trump of refusing to back a plan to pay TSA agents and end the partial shutdown, saying that the president had ordered "no deals with the Democrats" after Kennedy and Texas Senator Ted Cruz put together a plan to accept Democrat proposals on DHS funding, excluding ICE.
Kennedy added that this would have been followed by a reconciliation bill to fund ICE, which would have meant Republican lawmakers "don't need any Democratic votes to do whatever we wanted to do with ICE."
The White House had been signaling it was considering the extraordinary step of invoking a national emergency to fund TSA payrolls as lawmakers reviewed what officials described as a “last and final” proposal to end the standoff, which has disrupted travel nationwide.
Democrats have refused to approve funding for the Department of Homeland Security as they seek changes to limit Trump’s immigration enforcement policies. Speaking earlier at a White House event, Trump warned he would intervene if Congress failed to act.
What People Are Saying
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullins on X: "I want to thank [POTUS] for his leadership in finding a way to pay our TSA officers to end this chaos at our airports. These hours long lines and thousands of Americans missing their flights was caused solely by the Democrats reckless [DHS] shutdown. Many of DHS’ frontline workers are still not being paid including [FEMA], [USCG], and [CISA]. The Democrats must stop playing political games with our national security, quit punishing our employees, and re-open DHS."
Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, a Republican, in a statement on Thursday: "TSA agents show up every single day to keep American travelers safe. They don't deserve their paychecks being held hostage. President Trump made sure it didn't happen. The House passed a bill to support full funding for DHS. Every Republican voted yes. Over 95% of Democrats voted no, choosing to sacrifice TSA paychecks for politics. The Left fights harder to protect illegal immigrants than to fund hardworking Americans. Thank you, President Trump, for always putting American workers first."
Senator Rick Scott of Florida, a Republican, in a statement on Thursday: "THANK YOU, President Trump, for doing what Senate Democrats have refused to do for the last 41 days. Our patriotic, hardworking TSA agents NEVER deserved to be treated like this, and their families have suffered far too much — food banks, eviction notices, missed payments. I hope this brings them some long-needed relief and peace of mind. Now, it's time for Democrats to STOP PLAYING GAMES and end this ridiculous, un-American DHS shutdown once and for all."
Senator Alex Padilla of California, a Democrat, on X: "So you agree, you should’ve paid them this whole time?"
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, on X last week: "As we have all week, Democrats will continue to hold the floor to block the Republican voter suppression SAVE Act. And as I’ve said all week: We will not let this bill pass under any circumstances, no matter how long it takes."
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Update 3/27/26, 9:56 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 3/26/26, 7:53 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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