"We have promised tens of thousands of federal agents ... they will be paid."
The promise
Amid the October 2025 U.S. federal government shutdown, the Trump administration announced that certain law-enforcement officers under DHS — including ICE agents, CBP, and other immigration enforcement and border agents — would continue receiving pay (“supercheck” or special disbursement) despite the funding lapse. Internal emails instructed that these agents would receive both shutdown backpay and forthcoming pay. The move draws a line between “essential” law enforcement and other federal workers who may be unpaid, and underscores the administration’s priority of immigration/enforcement over other services during a shutdown. However, the mechanism, funding source, full list of covered employees, and legal basis are not fully transparent.
