President Trump issued an executive order Friday to ensure all Department of Homeland Security employees receive pay and benefits during the ongoing partial government shutdown, now in its 49th day.
The order, titled “Liberating the Department of Homeland Security From the Democrat-Caused Shutdown,” mirrors a previous directive extending pay to Transportation Security Administration agents. It instructs the homeland security secretary to utilize funds connected to DHS functions for employee compensation.
The memo, published by the White House, specifies that “each and every employee” of DHS will be paid the equivalent of lost compensation and benefits. Funds used must have a “reasonable and logical nexus” to the department’s operations.