President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to ensure that all Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees are paid during the ongoing partial government shutdown. The order, titled “Liberating the Department of Homeland Security From the Democrat-Caused Shutdown,” directs DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to use funds that have a logical connection to the agency’s operations to pay every employee. This follows a similar order last week that guaranteed pay for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents during the shutdown. “This callous treatment of DHS employees must end to ensure America stays secure and ready to respond to emergencies,” the order states. The partial government shutdown, now lasting 49 days, is the longest in U.S. history. Millions of federal employees have been affected, with DHS among the hardest hit. Despite not receiving pay, the vast majority of DHS workers have continued reporting to work. House Democrats have refused to support a proposed funding bill for DHS that would provide money to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without placing new rules on immigration operations. Meanwhile, House Republicans rejected a compromise last week that would fund DHS while excluding ICE and other immigration-focused offices. Although House and Senate Republicans appeared to reach a deal this week, House lawmakers did not take action on the legislation when they met on Thursday. It remains unclear when the bill will move forward. Trump first announced his plan to pay DHS workers on Thursday, emphasizing the hardships faced by federal employees during the shutdown. “Their families have suffered far too long,” Trump said in a social media post. “Help is on the way for our brave and patriotic public servants who have continued to work hard and protect our country.” Thousands of TSA agents had called out from work due to unpaid wages, causing long delays at airport security checkpoints. However, back pay from Trump’s executive order is helping ease bottlenecks as employees return. Around 10,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers are already receiving pay because their salaries come from the non-lapsing Disaster Relief Fund. At least 4,000 FEMA employees remain furloughed or are working without pay. The executive order highlights Trump’s focus on ensuring that DHS staff paid despite political deadlock. Officials say that maintaining operations at DHS is essential for national security and emergency preparedness. As the shutdown continues, federal employees across multiple agencies remain in limbo. The White House and Congress continue to negotiate funding solutions, but no new timetable has been announced. Experts warn that delays in funding for critical agencies such as DHS could have broader implications for border security, emergency response, and national safety. Ensuring that DHS staff paid during the shutdown is seen as a temporary measure to prevent operational disruptions while political negotiations continue. Trump’s move to issue the executive order has been praised by some lawmakers and criticized by others as bypassing congressional authority. Regardless, the action provides immediate relief to thousands of DHS employees who have worked without pay for nearly seven weeks. The situation remains fluid, and further updates are expected as lawmakers continue to debate the terms of DHS funding. In the meantime, DHS employees will continue to report to work with the assurance that their wages will be covered.