The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has shattered traditional shutdown protocols by ordering thousands of furloughed staff back to their posts without permanent funding.
In an unprecedented move that shifts the legal ground for federal employment, internal directives obtained by CBS News reveal that workers across the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) must resume duty immediately. This DHS staff return-to-work order, issued by Chief Human Capital Officer La'Toya Prieur on 10 April 2026, effectively erases the distinction between 'essential' and 'non-essential' personnel.
