President Donald Trump on Friday directed the Department of Homeland Security to pay security screeners amid a partial government shutdown that has caused long delays at airports.
Mr Trump signed the memo as Congress has yet to agree on financing for the department, with Democrats holding up funds following the killing of two American citizens by immigration agents.
“As President of the United States, I have determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the nation’s security,” Mr Trump said in a memorandum released on Friday.
Local media reported that screening officers, known as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents, are expected to begin receiving paycheques starting on Monday.
Earlier in the week, immigration agents were deployed to more than a dozen US airports to assist with passenger screening, as major hubs reported staff absences from workers who had gone unpaid for weeks, leading to long delays and missed flights.
The memo said nearly 500 security screeners have left their positions, and thousands more have been calling in sick “at record rates” due to lack of pay.
“These increased wait times, combined with declining morale among TSA staff, unacceptably heighten the risk of security vulnerabilities within our domestic travel system and have negatively impacted countless Americans,” Mr Trump wrote.
The Senate early on Friday voted to fund the DHS but not immigration agents. The House still needs to pass the bill before Mr Trump can sign it into law.
Republican leaders including House Speaker Mike Johnson have so far said they would not support a bill without funding for ICE agents. They also want to tie the funding bill to a contentious voter-ID law.
Mr Trump has made immigration a major focus of his time in office, and his messaging.
