President Donald Trump said Thursday he intends to issue an executive directive telling the Department of Homeland Security to keep Transportation Security Administration employees paid during the partial government shutdown.
The move comes as lawmakers remain locked in a standoff over funding for DHS, with negotiations breaking down in the Senate after multiple failed attempts to advance legislation.
Trump tied the situation directly to Democratic opposition in Congress, accusing Senate Democrats of prioritizing immigration demands over funding for federal agencies.
“The Radical Left Democrats, and their ‘Leader,’ Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, have made it very clear where they stand,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “ON THE SIDE OF CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, AND NOT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.”
I want to thank @POTUS for his leadership in finding a way to pay our TSA officers to end this chaos at our airports. These hours long lines and thousands of Americans missing their flights was caused solely by the Democrats reckless @DHSgov shutdown.
Many of DHS’ frontline… https://t.co/QESzlb85ey— Secretary Markwayne Mullin (@SecMullinDHS) March 27, 2026
He argued Democrats were blocking funding unless Republicans accepted changes to immigration enforcement policy.
“They are refusing to fund Immigration Enforcement unless the Republicans agree to their Open Border Policies, which will never, ever happen again,” Trump wrote.
The president also pointed to what he described as the long-term impact of previous immigration policies.
“They almost destroyed our Country, allowing 25 Million People to enter from Prisons, Mental Institutions, and Insane Asylums,” he wrote. “Those that are Drug Dealers, and thousands of Murderers, many of whom killed more than one person.”
Trump said the executive order would direct Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to act immediately.
“Because the Democrats have recklessly created a true National Crisis, I am using my authorities under the Law to protect our Great Country,” he wrote.
“Therefore, I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation.”
He added that the action was intended to stabilize airport operations while negotiations remain stalled.
“It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it,” Trump wrote. “I want to thank our hardworking TSA Agents and also, ICE, for the incredible help they have given us at the Airports.”
The House moved separately on Thursday, passing a Republican-backed bill to fund DHS for a third time.
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Lawmakers approved the measure in a 218-206 vote, with four Democrats joining Republicans.
Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington supported the bill, repeating their votes from an earlier attempt in March.
Despite that passage, the proposal failed to gain traction in the Senate.
Democrats have continued to oppose DHS funding bills unless changes are made to immigration enforcement policies.
Their demands include requiring judicial warrants for certain enforcement actions and restricting the use of masks by federal immigration agents.
The impasse has extended the shutdown’s effects across multiple agencies, including the TSA and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Republicans attempted to break the deadlock earlier in the week with a revised proposal.
That plan would have funded core DHS operations through regular appropriations while shifting funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement removal operations into a separate reconciliation package.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rejected that approach and instead advanced a counterproposal.
Republicans responded with another offer and accused Democrats of prolonging negotiations.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune described the latest Democratic position as unworkable.
“It’s not even close to being real,” Thune said. “They know better. They’re asking for things that have already been turned down.”
He added that talks had stalled over specific provisions tied to ICE operations.
“I mean, warrants and masks have never been on the table, and they know that,” Thune said.
Thune told reporters Thursday that Democrats had received what he called the final Republican offer.
“They are now in possession of what I think is our last and final offer,” he said.
As negotiations continued, Schumer signaled that discussions were still active while reiterating Democratic concerns about enforcement policies.
“People are talking,” Schumer told Punchbowl News.
He also called for immediate changes to airport operations tied to the ongoing dispute.
“ICE needs to leave the airports NOW. Trump needs to pay TSA workers NOW,” Schumer wrote earlier in the week.
ICE needs to leave the airports NOW.
Trump needs to pay TSA workers NOW, and push Republicans to reach a deal.
No intimidation forces at our airports. No more chaos at checkpoints.
Enough is enough.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 24, 2026
“No intimidation forces at our airports. No more chaos at checkpoints. Enough is enough.”
Senate Democrats voted Thursday to block the House-passed funding measure.
Only Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania joined Republicans in supporting the legislation.
Since DHS funding ran out in mid-February, Thursday’s vote was the seventh instance in which Democrats prevented the legislation from moving forward.
Republicans held the vote open for several hours in an effort to reach a last-minute agreement.
“We’ve held the vote open for five hours to give the Democrats an opportunity to come to the table,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso said. “They have not. And now, time is up.”
Trump responded to the continued stalemate by renewing his call to eliminate the Senate filibuster.
He argued that removing the 60-vote threshold would allow Republicans to move legislation forward more quickly.
“When is ‘enough, enough’ for our Republican Senators,” Trump wrote. “Go for the Gold!!!”
“There comes a time when you must do what should have been done a long time ago,” he added. “TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, and get our airports, and everything else, moving again.”
In another post, Trump suggested Democrats might shift their position if Republicans moved to change Senate rules.
He said Schumer “will make a deal now because he thinks that if he doesn’t, Republicans will TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER.”
With no agreement in place, senators are expected to leave Washington for a two-week Easter recess.
Negotiations are set to continue during that period, though no vote is expected until lawmakers return in mid-April.
