DHS warns TSA payroll could dry up by May, risking airport security disruptions

U.S. Department of Homeland Security says it will run out of money to pay Transportation Security Administration officers and other staff in early May, potentially reviving long security lines and disrupting travel as the funding lapse continues. The agency is using a roughly $10 billion emergency fund, leaving about $1.4 billion as of April 19, but without new congressional funding, payroll could dry up after the next pay period. Congress remains split over DHS funding, with Republicans seeking to fund immigration enforcement separately and Democrats resisting; a reconciliation path for immigration funding could pass, but nothing is guaranteed. Some TSA workers have already quit, past wait times have been severe, and DHS has limited services like Global Entry, while back pay and future payrolls remain uncertain.