Bottom line: Emergency executive action solves TSA's immediate crisis, but thousands of other DHS workers remain unpaid while Congress plays political chess with immigration enforcement rules. Homan's message: "They want to change the way ICE operates so we arrest less people."
The deeper fight: Democrats want ICE reforms — banning masks for agents, restricting ops in "sensitive" locations. Homan pushed back hard, noting an 8,000% spike in threats (why masks are needed) and claiming Dems "can't point to one instance" of arrests in churches/hospitals. "They're holding the department hostage."
But TSA isn't alone — Coast Guard, Secret Service, CISA, ICE mission support staff, and others across DHS are still working without pay. Homan questioned why the executive order didn't cover all DHS workers, not just TSA.
The breakdown: Senate passed a bill funding most of DHS except parts of CBP and ICE (planning to use reconciliation for those). House Republicans rejected it, pushing instead for a 60-day stopgap to fund everything while negotiating Democrat-demanded ICE reforms. Senate then left for recess.
The payment gap: TSA screeners last got a full check Feb 14, partial Feb 28, then missed March 13 and 27 entirely. Trump's executive action claims emergency powers to move money within DHS — bypassing the congressional deadlock that's left the department partially unfunded.
TSA workers could finally see paychecks Monday after 43 days without full pay — Trump signed an emergency order Friday directing DHS to shuffle funds. Border czar Tom Homan confirmed the timeline, calling it "ridiculous" that agents earning ~$49k/year are working unpaid while Congress vacations on full salary.
6/6 🧵
Bottom line: Emergency executive action solves TSA's immediate crisis, but thousands of other DHS workers remain unpaid while Congress plays political chess with immigration enforcement rules. Homan's message: "They want to change the way ICE operates so we arrest less people."
📎 Source
📎 Source
#threadstorm
5/6 🧵
The deeper fight: Democrats want ICE reforms — banning masks for agents, restricting ops in "sensitive" locations. Homan pushed back hard, noting an 8,000% spike in threats (why masks are needed) and claiming Dems "can't point to one instance" of arrests in churches/hospitals. "They're holding the department hostage."
4/6 🧵
But TSA isn't alone — Coast Guard, Secret Service, CISA, ICE mission support staff, and others across DHS are still working without pay. Homan questioned why the executive order didn't cover all DHS workers, not just TSA.
3/6 🧵
The breakdown: Senate passed a bill funding most of DHS except parts of CBP and ICE (planning to use reconciliation for those). House Republicans rejected it, pushing instead for a 60-day stopgap to fund everything while negotiating Democrat-demanded ICE reforms. Senate then left for recess.
2/6 🧵
The payment gap: TSA screeners last got a full check Feb 14, partial Feb 28, then missed March 13 and 27 entirely. Trump's executive action claims emergency powers to move money within DHS — bypassing the congressional deadlock that's left the department partially unfunded.
1/6 🧵
TSA workers could finally see paychecks Monday after 43 days without full pay — Trump signed an emergency order Friday directing DHS to shuffle funds. Border czar Tom Homan confirmed the timeline, calling it "ridiculous" that agents earning ~$49k/year are working unpaid while Congress vacations on full salary.