Five former Department of Homeland Security secretaries, including former chief of staff John Kelly, on Wednesday called for President Donald Trump and Congress to "fund the critical mission of DHS" and end the shutdown, according to a letter obtained by NBC News.
"DHS employees who protect the traveling public, investigate and counter-terrorism, and protect critical infrastructure should not have to rely on the charitable generosity of others for assistance in feeding their families and paying their bills while they steadfastly focus on the mission at hand," the letter reads. "This is unconscionable."
The government shutdown stretched into its 33rd day Wednesday with no end in sight. Trump is demanding $5.7 billion in border wall funding, but Democrats will not budge.
Kelly served as Trump's DHS secretary before taking over the role as chief of staff. He left the White House in December.
The letter, addressed to "Trump and Members of Congress," was also signed by Michael Chertoff, Janet Napolitano, Tom Ridge, and Jeh Johnson.
"We call on our elected leaders to restore the funding necessary to ensure our homeland remains safe and that the Department's critical national security functions continue without compromise," the secretaries write.
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