HARLINGEN, Texas (Border Report) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that U.S. Coast Guard employees will be paid this week, despite the government shutdown.
This announcement comes after President Trump announced that active military personnel would also be paid on Wednesday, which is their next scheduled paycheck.
Noem said the funds for Coast Guard officials came from the Big Beautiful Bill, signed by President Trump on July 4.
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the One Big Beautiful Bill, the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard will not miss a paycheck this week as they continue to carry out their critical homeland security and military missions,” Noem said in a statement.
The Big Beautiful Bill gave the Coast Guard the biggest financial boost in its history with $24 billion.
The bill provides money to build ships and aircraft for expanding maritime operations and $6.6 billion for improving and maintaining coastal infrastructure, depots and training facilities. Emergency funds are also available to pay staff.
In the Rio Grande Valley, U.S. Coast Guard agents patrol boats on the Rio Grande alongside Border Patrol agents looking for immigrants arriving illegally from Mexico and sending drugs. They also fly across the Gulf of America in search of illegal Mexican fishermen who poach in U.S. waters and conduct drug interdictions.
“President Trump did not want any of our service members to go without pay because of Democratic political theater, and we at DHS developed an innovative solution to ensure that did not happen,” Noem said. “The U.S. Coast Guard defends our maritime borders, stopping the flow of deadly narcotics and illegal immigration into our country and fighting America’s adversaries around the world.”
The Senate has scheduled a vote on reopening the government for Tuesday afternoon.
President Trump over the weekend ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use “all available funds” to ensure troops are paid this week.
Border Report asked the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday whether Border Patrol agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, as well as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, would be paid their regular paychecks tomorrow. This story will be updated if information is received.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
