Trump signs executive order instructing DHS to immediately pay TSA agents | Trump administration

donald trump signed an executive order Friday instructing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration agents because the partial shutdown drags on.

Negotiations on Capitol Hill stay stalled after House Republicans rejected a Senate-passed deal to fund key DHS subagencies, together with the TSA. After first saying on Truth Social that he would pay greater than 60,000 airport safety staff – with out explaining the place the cash would come from – the president issued the order.

“This is an unprecedented emergency situation,” Trump said in a memorandum to Markwayne Mullin, the DHS secretary, and Russell Vought, the Office of Management and Budget director. He once more blamed Democrats’ “reckless decision to prioritize criminal illegal aliens over American citizens” for the 42‑day shutdown.

“If Democrats in the Congress will not act to honor the service of our TSA officers… then my administration will take action,” the president added.

A DHS spokesperson confirmed to the Guardian that the TSA has “immediately begun the process of paying its workforce,” and stated officers may see paychecks as early as March 30. The division didn’t reply to questions on what funds are getting used.

TSA agents have gone with out pay for greater than a month, main to nationwide staffing shortages and hours-long airport strains. The performing TSA chief has described the state of affairs as producing the “highest wait times in TSA history,” and the administration this week deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports, in what Trump stated was an effort to help.

Almost 500 TSA officers have left since final month, and the six-week deadlock has had a devastating affect on those that stay. By Friday, workers had been anticipated to have missed $1bn in paychecks, performing administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill instructed Congress, including: “Many in our workforce have missed bill payments, received eviction notices, had their cars repossessed and utilities shut off, lost their childcare, defaulted on loans, damaged their credit line, and drained their retirement savings.”