Trump Orders Full DHS Pay After 48 Days, TSA Lines Ease
Image: The Hill

Trump Orders Full DHS Pay After 48 Days, TSA Lines Ease

04 April, 2026.USA.14 sources

Trump signs memo directing DHS to pay all employees during shutdown. Payments extend beyond TSA, covering all DHS workers with back pay.

14 outlets5 divides9 facts unevenly covered

Beat 1 · The verdict

Scope of who is paid (DHS-wide pay versus TSA-specific restitution and ongoing unpaid DHS staff)

Beat 2 · The divide, quote v quote

“Although most Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers have started receiving pay under Trump’s earlier executive order, employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Coast Guard and other agencies say they are still waiting.”

TThe Hill (Western Mainstream)

“More than 35,000 employees, including Coast Guard civilians, Federal Emergency Management Agency employees helping to prepare the Nation for disaster response, and cybersecurity professionals at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, have gone without a paycheck for nearly 2 months because of congressional Democrats," Trump wrote in the memo.”

NNBC News (Western Mainstream)

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Full story

Trump Orders Full DHS Pay

The memorandum directs issuing paychecks with back pay to tens of thousands of employees.

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ABC NewsABC News

The Senate passed a proposal to fund TSA and other agencies, without money for ICE.

SourcesThe HillThe HillNBC NewsNBC NewsThe GuardianThe Guardian

TSA Pay Eases Airport Chaos

TSA agents started receiving paychecks, allowing airports to return largely to normal operations.

Major airports reported significantly shorter lines than in recent weeks.

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CNNCNN

About 3,100 TSA agents, nearly 11% of the workforce, were absent on Sunday.

SourcesForbes MéxicoForbes MéxicoInfobaeInfobaeEl EconomistaEl Economista

Shutdown Drives Broader DHS Chaos

Tens of thousands of other DHS workers remained unpaid.

The Coast Guard faced an estimated $15 million weekly loss from furloughs.

The Senate's TSA-focused package lacked a clear path to a broader solution.

Legal and Political Challenges

Trump's unilateral funding moves raised legal questions.

Some experts characterized the strategy as a judicial gamble.

Image from El Informador
El InformadorEl Informador

The pay directives risked dulling domestic pressure on lawmakers.