President Trump said he will “make sure” all Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees are paid as the partial government shutdown hit Day 48 and the House again failed to act on a Senate-passed measure to fund DHS through the end of the fiscal year, according to Government Executive.
- Shutdown length: The shutdown reached Day 48 on April 10, 2026, per Government Executive.
- What the House didn’t do: The House did not take up a Senate measure that would have funded DHS through September, Government Executive reported.
- What Trump said: Trump said he would ensure DHS workers are paid, as pressure increases to address pay for both furloughed employees and excepted employees working without pay, according to Government Executive.
- Who’s affected: DHS includes large workforces at Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), FEMA, U.S. Coast Guard, and other components. Government Executive framed Trump’s comments as aimed at DHS personnel impacted by the lapse in appropriations.
- What still has to happen: Pay during a shutdown is governed by appropriations law and typically requires Congressional action—either to reopen agencies or to authorize/guarantee pay and back pay—while agencies manage operations under shutdown procedures, per the reporting.
The immediate backdrop is a widening standoff over appropriations. The Senate measure referenced by Government Executive would have reopened DHS operations through September—the end of FY2026—yet the House did not bring it to the floor, leaving DHS employees in limbo for another day.
For federal employees and service members working in or alongside DHS, the key issue is timing and certainty of pay. During a shutdown, furloughed workers are placed in non-duty status and generally do not receive pay until appropriations are restored and/or Congress provides back pay. Excepted employees—those required to work for reasons such as safety of human life or protection of property—may be required to report for duty even when pay is delayed, with compensation typically arriving after funding resumes and back pay is authorized.
Trump’s statement adds political pressure but does not itself change the legal requirement for appropriations. Until Congress passes—and the president signs—legislation to fund DHS or otherwise resolve the lapse, DHS payroll disruptions and uncertainty for both furloughed and excepted personnel will persist, as described by Government Executive. For employees trying to estimate potential missed pay and eventual restoration, FedInfo’s pay tools can help with rough calculations: https://fedinfo.org.
Source: Government Executive (Pay & Benefits), April 2026: https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2026/04/trump-says-hell-pay-all-dhs-workers-after-house-again-fails-end-shutdown/412599/