Mullin warns DHS will face administrative and logistical strain following partial govt. shutdown
OAN Staff Addie Davis and Brooke Mallory
3:07 PM – Monday, May 4, 2026
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin recently emphasized that the department faces a significant recovery period following the conclusion of a historic 76-day partial government shutdown this past Thursday.
While the restoration of funding allows for the immediate resumption of standard operations, Mullin noted that the unprecedented length of the lapse created substantial backlogs and operational strain that cannot be resolved overnight.
He also indicated that stabilizing the workforce and addressing the administrative hurdles accumulated during the two-month standoff will be a primary focus for the agency in the coming weeks.
The House of Representatives successfully passed a critical funding bill to provide appropriations for the majority of the department, terminating the record-breaking, months-long government shutdown. This legislative action restores necessary financial resources to federal agencies that had been operating without budgets, marking the official conclusion to the longest funding lapse in United States history.
By securing the majority of the department’s fiscal requirements, the vote allows for a full return to federal services and ensures that tens of thousands of employees will receive their withheld back pay.
“I don’t have to tell you: this historic shutdown posed many challenges across DHS and our 22 components — not to mention months of financial strain for countless families,” Mullin said in a Friday statement, praising DHS employees for their dedication.
“While it will take time to recover from this historic shutdown, each of you showed that no matter the circumstances, the men and women of DHS will ALWAYS answer the call and protect the Homeland,” he added. “Now that DHS is fully funded, we will soon have the vital resources we need to continue to our mission.”
During a Sunday interview with Fox News, Mullin detailed the lingering administrative fallout of the shutdown, specifically highlighting a critical backlog within the agency responsible for licensing maritime vessels. With approximately 18,000 barges and ships currently awaiting certification, Mullin warned that clearing this specific bottleneck alone will likely require several months of concentrated effort.
Nonetheless, despite these logistical hurdles, the secretary affirmed that the DHS remains “mission capable,” though he admitted the agency currently lacks the capacity to immediately address every operational demand brought before it following the extended lapse.
Meanwhile, the resolution of the shutdown also remains incomplete, as Democrat opposition resulted in the exclusion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Border Patrol from the primary funding bill. To address this, House and Senate Republicans are currently navigating a complex budget reconciliation process to secure independent funding for those specific agencies.
Amid the deal, GOP leadership and President Donald Trump have criticized Democrats for the impasse, with the president labeling the “reckless” shutdown’s impact on essential services — including the TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard — as a failure of governance.
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