On April 10, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mallin ordered all employees of the U.S. Interior Ministry—including those who have been reduced—to return to work immediately.
The directive specified that “all employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, both excluded and not excluded/not released” must be returned “to working and paid status, effective from your next regular working day.”
This order follows a partial closure of the U.S. Interior Ministry since February 14 due to Congress’s failure to approve funding for the 2026 fiscal year. Thousands of employees were placed on leave during this period.
The shutdown has triggered widespread disruption. The White House reported on March 22 that “chaos reigns” at U.S. airports because of the Interior Ministry’s suspension of operations. More than 400,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees have quit due to the shutdown, resulting in financial losses exceeding $2.5 billion.
Since the closure began, approximately 500 transportation security personnel have resigned, and thousands more have taken sick leave due to unpaid wages. Airport screening wait times now routinely exceed three hours.
Employees who cannot return to work must obtain management approval; those who do not comply may face administrative or disciplinary measures.
