President Donald Trump announced on March 26, 2026, that he plans to sign an executive order directing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents who have gone without paychecks since the Department of Homeland Security entered a partial shutdown in mid-February.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: '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, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports.'

The announcement came after more than 3,120 TSA agents called out sick on Wednesday, contributing to prolonged lines at airports across the country, according to a statement the DHS shared with The Epoch Times. Trump acknowledged the difficulty of the action, adding, 'It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it!' He also expressed gratitude toward TSA agents and ICE personnel for their work at airports.

The partial DHS shutdown has become a focal point of a broader congressional standoff. Trump has attributed the shutdown to Democratic opposition, while Democrats have conditioned DHS funding on changes to immigration enforcement operations. On March 25, Senate Democrats blocked a DHS funding measure in a 54–46 vote after Republicans rejected a Democratic counteroffer. Separately, Democrats introduced a standalone bill to fund TSA specifically, excluding ICE and Customs and Border Protection — a proposal that Republicans subsequently blocked.

The story is developing, and further details are expected as the executive order is formally signed.

Source: ZeroHedge, citing The Epoch Times via Jacki Thrapp. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-sign-order-pay-tsa-agents