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3mo ago

DHS Recalls Furloughed Staff to Paid Status During Shutdown

The move relies on limited internal funds with future pay uncertain.

Markwayne Mullin testifies in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee during his confirmation hearing to become the Secretary of Homeland Security in Washington DC, on March 18, 2026.
U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump's nominee to be Homeland Security secretary, testifies before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 18, 2026.
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Overview

  • DHS told employees it is bringing furloughed staff back to work in paid status using “available funds,” and warned pay could stop if those funds run out.
  • A presidential memo on April 3 directed back pay for all DHS workers, and more than 35,000 have already received deposits as Secretary Markwayne Mullin said most missed periods would be covered.
  • Internal messages instructed all FEMA employees to report in person under exempt status, though recalled staff cannot work overtime and must stick to excepted duties.
  • The return-to-work guidance broadens what counts as essential during a lapse and has prompted questions under the Antideficiency Act, which restricts spending without a congressional appropriation.
  • Long-term payroll still hinges on Congress, with the Senate advancing a plan that excludes ICE and parts of CBP and House Republicans pushing a separate reconciliation route for immigration enforcement funding.