Mullin recalls DHS workers without Congress during record shutdown

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin ordered all furloughed Department of Homeland Security employees to return to work despite the ongoing partial government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history at 56 days. Mullin told workers they would receive back pay through April 4, funded by redirecting discretionary presidential spending authority rather than a congressional appropriation. About 1,200 CISA employees, roughly 60% of its workforce, are among those recalled. This move raises constitutional questions about whether the president can spend taxpayer money without Congress's authorization. The Antideficiency Act, a 150-year-old law, prohibits exactly this kind of spending. Mullin cited a presidential "flexibility" provision as his legal justification without specifying its exact statutory basis. Congress returns the week of April 13 to resume DHS funding negotiations.