OAN Staff Sophia Flores
12:54 PM – Friday, March 27, 2026
President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order (EO) directing federal officials to ensure that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents are paid amid the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) partial shutdown, calling the situation a dire “emergency.”
On Friday, Trump released a memo directing the DHS to pay TSA agents, whose paychecks have been repeatedly delayed after Democrat lawmakers refused to approve the necessary funding.
“As President of the United States, I have determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the Nation’s security,” President Donald Trump wrote in the memo.
“Accordingly, I hereby direct the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to use funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations to provide TSA employees with the compensation and benefits that would have accrued to them if not for the Democrat-led DHS shutdown, consistent with applicable law,” the memo continued.
According to AP News, the order will pay TSA agents “using money from [Trump’s] 2025 tax bill, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly.”
TSA agents have missed weeks-worth of paychecks since the shutdown began on February 14th. It is one of the longest partial shutdowns in U.S. history.
Democrat lawmakers have continuously resisted ending the partial DHS shutdown, arguing that immigration enforcement agencies, such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), must first require significant policy reforms.
To support a funding bill, these lawmakers have pushed for major changes in immigration enforcement practices — including “enhanced oversight” and restrictions on certain operational tactics — as part of broader negotiations over border security and civil liberties.
Republicans, however, argue that you cannot fund TSA workers while refusing to fund ICE and CBP, as they are both a key aspect of U.S. national security.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
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