WASHINGTON—A large portion of the Department of Homeland Security staff who investigate terrorism are not being paid due to the ongoing, partial government shutdown, The Daily Wire can first report.
Eighty percent of the Office of Intelligence & Analysis is working without pay while they defend the United States on the home front, a Homeland Security spokesman told The Daily Wire. That department is the primary office tracking terrorism and threats, and specializes in sharing intelligence and analysis to “identify and mitigate threats to the homeland.”
“Democrats are shamelessly playing politics with national security,” the spokesman said.
Homeland Security’s terrorism prevention arm has taken on increased importance in recent weeks: there have been at least four attacks on Americans since the conflict in Iran began. Given the gravity of the threats to the United States at this time, the spokesman said, it is imperative that the agency be funded.
“DHS shares timely and actionable intelligence from the intelligence community to state and local governments to ensure they are aware of any emerging threats to keep their communities safe,” a spokesman explained. “With major events such as America 250 and the World Cup coming up, along with the numerous threats our nation must be prepared for, DHS needs to be fully funded as soon as possible to ensure the safety and security of the homeland.”
The department has not been funded since February 14, about a month now, and the White House has slammed Democrats for shutting down the agency during a crucial time. TSA workers have gone without paychecks for weeks, causing staffing shortages and incredibly long security lines at airports across the nation. The shutdown also means that FEMA, the Coast Guard, and thousands of federal law enforcement officers are not being paid or given the resources they need, the White House says.
“The president has been clear — he wants the government to be open so it can best serve the American people,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. “Regardless of the Democrats’ decision to play partisan games with homeland security funding, the Trump administration will not waver in our commitment to protect the American people.”
Last week, a gunman rammed his vehicle into Temple Israel in Michigan, the largest Reform Jewish congregation in the country, before opening fire. That gunman was 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, who entered the United States in 2011 on a visa for foreign-born spouses of citizens of the United States and then gained citizenship in 2016. Thankfully, no one was killed in this attack, except the shooter himself.
Law enforcement respond near Temple Israel following reports of an active shooter on March 12, 2026 in West Bloomfield, Michigan. (Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images)
That attack closely followed a shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where a gunman identified by authorities as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh opened fire inside a university building, wounding two people and killing another. Jalloh, who was killed at the scene, is a former National Guard soldier who was previously convicted of supporting ISIS.
In New York City earlier this month, two men attempted to detonate explosive devices near Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home, Gracie Mansion, during a protest in the area. The Justice Department charged both men with knowingly attempting to provide “material support or resources” to ISIS, calling them “alleged ISIS-inspired terrorists.” The suspects have admitted they were inspired by ISIS, according to the DOJ.
And on March 1, just as the conflict with Iran began, a shooter wearing a “Property of Allah” hoodie and a pro-Iran shirt opened fire on an Austin, Texas bar, killing three people and injuring more than a dozen others.
The Department of Homeland Security tells The Daily Wire that on the Saturday following the first strikes in Iran, its Office of Intelligence & Analysis and the National Fusion Center Association co-hosted a call for over 1,450 state and local law enforcement officials, “providing threat updates and encouraging suspicious activity reporting.”
Experts who spoke with The Daily Wire’s Cameron Arcand warn of serious risks associated with the continued shutdown.
“We’re dealing with a heightened threat environment right now, and we need the federal government security capabilities to be firing on all cylinders,” said Nathan Sales, former special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS.
Sales warns that now is not the time to be “playing politics with national security, adding: “If you’re a Hezbollah operative and you want to carry out an attack in the United States, you have to cross the border, and that’s a DHS responsibility.”
