October 23, 2025
Affected FBI employees learned of the news the week of the 13th of October and one employee said “that’s really pissing people off.”
Only a select group of federal law enforcement officers — not all — receiving paychecks in mid-October 2025 is reportedly causing division within agencies at a time when officers are needed the most, CNN reported.
Under special orders from the Trump Administration, criminal investigative agents working for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in agencies such as the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the US Secret Service, are receiving paychecks on time, limiting payments to 1,811 employees that fall in that category.
Agents not receiving paychecks during the government shutdown, now in its 23rd day, include intelligence analysts and support staff working for the same agencies. Senior law enforcement officers familiar with the situation are shaking their heads at the decision, highlighting that it is only making morale worse than it already is. “You can imagine what that is doing to morale,” one current senior official said.
“Our intelligence analysts are doing crucial work; without them, cases don’t get made. So, to do this doesn’t send the right message.”
A former FBI agent who worked through prior shutdowns agreed, saying that without support staff, higher officials wouldn’t be able to move without them. “The fact is that analysts and professional staff all play a vital role in the entire FBI investigations. That’s why they have to continue working because they have an integral part,” retired FBI agent Dan Brunner said.
“Every single person, not just 1811s, plays a crucial role in the lifespan of an investigation.”
Affected FBI employees learned of the news the week of Oct. 13, and one employee said, “That’s really pissing people off.” In the meantime, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will continue to be paid amid allegations that they are harassing residents in cities like Chicago and Portland.
According to Business Insider, under the direction of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, roughly 19,626 of 21,028 ICE employees will continue to work through the shutdown — some without pay — until the shutdown ends. Close to 63,243 out of 67,792 employees of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are expected to stay on the job as well.
Other federal workers, who were labeled essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, are now being furloughed due to the shutdown, which leaves their jobs and financial security in limbo. Employees like Johnny Jones, a TSA worker and president of local 1040 for the American Federation of Government Employees, said many members are anxious about how bills will get paid. “Gas stations don’t take IOUs. I talked to a couple of employees, and they said, ‘This is my last fill-up and I won’t have any money,’ because they don’t have credit cards,” Jones said.
“They’re literally like, this is the last tank of gas I’m going to have until I get paid again.”
While the FBI Agents Association has issued salutes to Trump, saying FBI agents being paid “reflects the essential role FBI Agents play in protecting the American people,” other people in essential roles, like staff at the Centers for Disease Control and janitorial staff at federal buildings, were given prorated checks shortly before the shutdown.
Some may not receive back pay for work performed after Oct. 1, following a hint from Trump.
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