Some 100,000 employees at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have gone unpaid for work performed during the ongoing 39-day partial government shutdown, the Washington Examiner reported, citing the agency.
The department said that 38% of its 260,000-person workforce has not received a full paycheck since the shutdown began in February, leaving a large number of employees working without compensation.
El Pais added that more than half of the DHS employees have been determined to be nonessential and sent home without pay until an agreement is reached on the budget impasse.
"Democrats are shamelessly playing politics with national security and putting a financial strain on DHS workers and their families," acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement to the Examiner. "100,000 DHS employees have missed their first full paycheck."
Bis said the lapse in funding has resulted in an estimated $1 billion in unpaid wages each month, adding that many affected workers are struggling to cover basic living expenses.
"Thanks to the Democrats' DHS shutdown, these men and women are being forced to work without pay, and many cannot pay their rent, [or] buy food or gas or other essentials," she said. "The DHS shutdown must end now."
DHS encompasses nearly two dozen agencies and offices, most of which are designated as essential and required to continue operations during a shutdown, despite the absence of pay.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.