A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding lapse is not a uniform “shutdown” for pay: some employees keep collecting regular paychecks, while others are furloughed or required to work with pay delayed. During the current lapse, about 120,000 DHS law enforcement personnel continued receiving pay, while tens of thousands of other DHS employees went unpaid, according to The New York Times.
- Who kept getting paid: Roughly 120,000 DHS law enforcement personnel continued receiving paychecks during the lapse, The New York Times reported.
- Who didn’t: Tens of thousands of other DHS employees were unpaid during the lapse, according to The New York Times.
- Why the difference: Shutdown rules divide workers into categories, including “excepted” employees (who may be required to work to protect life/property or perform other legally permitted functions) and furloughed employees (sent home and barred from working).
- Work vs. pay: Some employees can be required to report even when appropriations have lapsed, but their pay may be delayed until Congress restores funding and authorizes back pay, The New York Times reported.
- Operational impact: The pay split is most visible inside DHS because the department includes large law enforcement and operational components alongside mission support, policy, and administrative workforces.
- Timing: The breakdown reflects the DHS funding lapse described in the March 31, 2026 report by The New York Times.
Brief context: Under federal shutdown procedures, agencies implement contingency plans when appropriations lapse. Those plans identify which functions continue and which stop. At DHS, the workforce includes high-tempo operational and law enforcement roles—such as border, aviation, and protective missions—that are commonly treated as “excepted” for continuity and safety reasons. Other roles may be furloughed or placed in a status where work is limited or prohibited. The New York Times described a central point of confusion for employees: being required to work does not always mean an employee will receive an on-time paycheck during a lapse, depending on how the position is categorized and what funding is available.
What it means for you: If you work at DHS, your pay status in a lapse typically hinges on whether your job is designated excepted (and whether pay is available) or non-excepted/furloughed. Employees should look for their component’s shutdown guidance and formal notices identifying their status. For broader shutdown pay basics and terminology, see FedBrief’s explainer on shutdown rules: https://fedbrief.org/
Source: The New York Times, “Homeland Security Pay Shutdown” (U.S. Politics), March 31, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/31/us/politics/homeland-security-pay-shutdown.html