PHOENIX — Federal workers are warning that a delay in funding for the Department of Homeland Security is creating safety concerns and leaving federal employees in Arizona wondering when they will be paid next.
Around 100,000 DHS employees saw significantly less money in their accounts on Friday after a partial government shutdown of the department affected their first paychecks last week.
"Especially the newer officers that are not hiring pay bands. They received zero because of their deductions,” TSA Officer and local union representative Jovan Petkovic said. "Long time ago, working for the federal government meant something."
The pause in DHS funding comes as lawmakers debate Immigration and Customs Enforcement. While ICE is currently fully funded through Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, other agencies, including FEMA, TSA, and Cybersecurity, are waiting for another funding bill to be passed.
"This is not the time to not be funded,” Petkovic said.
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem thanked federal workers for showing up during this time and addressed the funding standstill while testifying about ICE operations on Tuesday.
The funding delay also comes as a war between the U.S. and Iran is leading headlines.
"Critical national security missions, including border security, immigration enforcement, aviation security, disaster response, cybersecurity, and protection of critical infrastructure, are being strained," Noem said.
Petkovic said pay was severely delayed for many officers in Phoenix after the first government shutdown that lasted more than 40 days in the fall. He does not want that to happen again once his agency reopens.
"Who is accountable for us having missing pay?" Petkovic said. "It doesn't matter which side of the aisle, do the right thing, pass a budget.”
Senator Mark Kelly sent the following statement regarding the current government shutdown to ABC15:
“Republicans shouldn’t be playing politics with our national security and the paychecks of workers like those at TSA. Republicans need to listen to Americans and work together with Democrats to overhaul ICE, so it’s no longer threatening communities and the constitutional rights of Americans. I’ll continue fighting to make sure we keep protecting the safety of all Americans.”
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