US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum directing the payment of wages to employees of the Transportation Security Administration, a move aimed at easing chaos at airports across the US during the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. Trump's memorandum on Friday said that due to the suspension of funds from the Department of Homeland Security, about 50,000 transportation safety personnel working at the airport are currently unpaid, causing nearly 500 people to leave their jobs, and thousands more are taking sick leave. “As President of the United States, I believe these situations constitute an emergency endangering national security,” Trump said, adding that these absenteeism “unacceptably increases the risk of security breaches in the domestic travel system and has had a negative impact on countless Americans.” A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said that the Transportation Security Administration has immediately initiated the payroll process, and workers should start receiving their wages as early as Monday. Still, it's unclear how this payment mechanism works. The memorandum did not specify the specific sources of funding.

US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum directing the payment of wages to employees of the Transportation Security Administration, a move aimed at easing chaos at airports across the US during the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. Trump's memorandum on Friday said that due to the suspension of funds from the Department of Homeland Security, about 50,000 transportation safety personnel working at the airport are currently unpaid, causing nearly 500 people to leave their jobs, and thousands more are taking sick leave. “As President of the United States, I believe these situations constitute an emergency endangering national security,” Trump said, adding that these absenteeism “unacceptably increases the risk of security breaches in the domestic travel system and has had a negative impact on countless Americans.” A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said that the Transportation Security Administration has immediately initiated the payroll process, and workers should start receiving their wages as early as Monday. Still, it's unclear how this payment mechanism works. The memorandum did not specify the specific sources of funding.