HARLINGEN, Texas (Border Report) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday announced that U.S. Coast Guard employees will get paid this week, despite the government shutdown.
Watch: Coast Guard takes to the skies over Gulf looking for cartel activity, poachers
The announcement came after President Trump announced active military personnel will also get paid on Wednesday, which is their next scheduled paycheck.
Noem said funds for Coast Guard officials are coming from the Big Beautiful Bill, which was 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 US 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 its biggest financial boost ever in history by appropriating $24 billion for the agency.
The bill provides money to build ships and aircraft for expanded maritime operations and $6.6 billion for improvements and maintenance of shore infrastructure, depots and training facilities. Emergency funds also are available to pay staff.
Watch: Coast Guard steps up patrols along Rio Grande
In the Rio Grande Valley, U.S. Coast Guard officers patrol in boats on the Rio Grande alongside Border Patrol agents looking for immigrants illegally crossing from Mexico and sending drugs. They also fly planes over the Gulf of America looking for illegal fishermen from Mexico poaching in U.S. waters, as well as make drug interdictions.
A U.S. Coast Guard officer, called the “drop master” looks out over the Gulf of America during a fly over on Aug. 14, 2025, looking for illegal activity in border waters. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report File Photo)
“President Trump did not want any of our military to go without pay as a result of Democrats’ political theater, and we at DHS worked out an innovative solution to make sure that didn’t happen,” Noem said. “The U.S. Coast Guard has been defending our maritime borders, stopping the flow of deadly narcotics and illegal immigration into our country, and countering America’s adversaries around the world.”
The Senate has scheduled a vote on whether to reopen the government for Tuesday afternoon.
President Trump over the weekend directed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to use “all available funds” to ensure troops get paid this week.
Border Report on Tuesday asked the Department of Homeland Security if Border Patrol agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, as well as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, will get paid on their regularly scheduled paycheck tomorrow. This story will be updated if information is received.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
