Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman ordered all DHS employees back to work Monday afternoon, following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on his first day in office, according to an internal memo obtained by ABC News.
The order effectively and abruptly ended the department’s telecommuting.
Huffman said that telecommuting “can be an important tool in the right circumstances,” which can also be abused.
October 12, 2024 October 12, 2024, entry for the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, which operates within the Department of Homeland Security, in Washington, DC.
J. David Ake/Getty Images
Huffman said that in 2024, 28.9 percent of all hours worked at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and 24.4 percent of all hours worked by employees of the U.S. Coast Guard — a branch of the armed services responsible for protecting our coasts — were done remotely.
He also said that 39.7% of the hours worked for the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency were remote.
“These numbers are unacceptable,” Huffman wrote. “It is the policy of this agency that employees work in their jobs – in an office or in the field – to the greatest extent possible.”
Huffman also said that within 30 days, each DHS component would be required to submit a report on all officials who did not return to work, the reasons for this, and documentation supporting the reason for each official’s continued remote work.
“Reasons may include a lack of adequate office space, the employee’s physical disability or a legal impediment,” he wrote.
“Any guidance, policy or directive of this agency inconsistent with this memorandum is hereby superseded to the extent consistent with applicable legal requirements,” Huffman added.
Huffman’s instructions followed the return-to-work order for federal employees that Trump signed on his first day back in the White House.
