Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has come under scrutiny for granting his employees over $1 billion worth of additional taxpayer-funded vacation time.
According to department staffers, Mayorkas is using taxpayers' money in an attempt to win favor from a disgruntled workforce.
Mayorkas, who has been in his position for approximately 2 years, has approved 115 hours of extra leave per employee. This includes 45 hours in his first year, followed by 48 hours in 2022, and 24 hours so far this year.
With around 260,000 department employees and an average hourly pay of $40, Mayorkas has distributed at least $1.2 billion in additional taxpayer-funded vacation time. However, the actual figure may be even higher when considering law enforcement and high cost-of-living locality pay.
Emilio Gonzalez, who ran one of the department's agencies during the Bush years, expressed astonishment at the numbers, stating, "You're hovering at just over a billion dollars right now, on the low end. And for an agency that's constantly pleading poverty, that's a lot of money."
The excessive vacations have become a source of amusement among department employees but have also posed challenges for managers who struggle to keep track of the surplus time off.
The Washington Times reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Mayorkas justifies the additional time off as a reward for enduring difficult circumstances and challenges. In his messages announcing the extra leave, he refers to it as recognition of sacrifice, dedication, and achievements.
For instance, in December 2021, Mayorkas distributed an extra three full days of vacation, acknowledging the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, border chaos, hate crimes, and cyberattacks. He commended the employees for their tremendous achievements and service.
In March, on the occasion of Homeland Security's 20th anniversary, Mayorkas granted another day off, recognizing the extraordinary sacrifices and contributions made by the workers in the service of the country.
In June, ahead of Independence Day, the secretary expressed his gratitude by granting an additional eight hours of leave as a token of appreciation for their contributions to the nation.
The extra leave is typically available until the end of the following year. Therefore, the additional holiday granted for July Fourth can be saved until the end of 2024.
Chad Wolf, who served as acting secretary in the Trump administration, stated that while time off is allowed, it is usually issued on a case-by-case basis as an award for extraordinary service. It is highly unusual for a department head to be so generous with vacation time.
The Defense Department, the largest government agency, stated that it does not issue extra leave. The Veterans Affairs Department, which is comparable in size to Homeland Security, also confirmed that it does not grant additional leave beyond what is authorized by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). However, OPM did not respond to The Washington Times' inquiry for this article.
Homeland Security consistently ranks near the bottom in the government's annual employee satisfaction survey. This trend predates Mayorkas' tenure as secretary and even his previous role as deputy secretary during the Obama administration.
The department, which was created after the 2001 terrorist attacks, has always faced challenges due to its complex structure, comprising parts from various other departments.
In recent years, the border crisis has added to the strain, with employees from the department's immigration agencies overwhelmed by the task of processing and welcoming unauthorized arrivals.
Employees in these agencies view Mayorkas' additional vacation handouts as an attempt to buy their loyalty. However, some doubt that this strategy will improve morale or address the financial issues faced by the agency.
While $1.2 billion may be a small fraction of Homeland Security's annual budget, it still represents a significant amount of money. President Biden has recently requested an emergency injection of $1.4 billion from Congress to address the chaos at the border.
Additionally, he has asked for nearly $900 million in taxpayer funds for USCIS, an agency that is supposed to be funded by fees paid by immigrants or their sponsors.
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