The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is urging Congress to immediately guarantee pay for all Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees affected by the ongoing government shutdown, arguing workers should not have to wait for back pay after a funding lapse.
- Who: AFGE, the largest federal employee union, calling on Congress to act, according to Federal News Network (FNN).
- What: Ensure all DHS employees—including those furloughed and those required to work as excepted employees—receive pay during a shutdown, not weeks later.
- Why: AFGE says DHS personnel are being asked to maintain critical missions without timely pay because of the lapse in appropriations, FNN reported.
- How: AFGE is pressing lawmakers to provide immediate pay protections for DHS employees during a shutdown, rather than relying solely on delayed back-pay after funding is restored, according to FNN.
- Status: The request is tied to the current shutdown conditions affecting DHS operations and pay, as described by FNN.
Brief context
Under federal shutdown rules, agencies without enacted appropriations must halt non-excepted activities. Many employees are furloughed (placed in non-pay, non-duty status), while others are designated excepted and must continue working to protect life and property or support other legally authorized functions. DHS typically includes large numbers of personnel in public safety, border security, transportation security, cybersecurity, and emergency response roles.
In recent shutdowns, Congress has enacted legislation to provide back pay to federal employees after funding is restored. AFGE’s position, as reported by FNN, is that back pay after the fact does not prevent immediate financial harm—especially for employees who must report to duty without timely paychecks.
For DHS employees, the practical issue is cash flow: missed pay can affect rent or mortgage payments, childcare, transportation, and other recurring bills during a lapse in funding. Employees should monitor official communications from their component (e.g., TSA, CBP, ICE, FEMA, CISA) for updated guidance on duty status, timekeeping, and any pay-related instructions during the shutdown. For general shutdown pay basics and federal back-pay rules, see FedBrief’s explainer: https://fedbrief.org/
Source: Federal News Network — Pay (March 2026), “Federal union calls for Congress to pay all DHS employees during shutdown,” https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-newscast/2026/03/federal-union-calls-for-congress-to-pay-all-dhs-employees-during-shutdown/