TSA staffing shrinks as shutdown halts pay, boosting airport delays

Since the Feb. 14 partial shutdown began, more than 400 TSA officers have quit, leaving roughly 50,000 frontline officers out of about 65,000 total as workers remain unpaid. DHS says callout rates run around 10% on many days, with some airports (e.g., JFK, Houston) seeing much higher gaps, fueling longer waits and security concerns while lawmakers clash over funding and reforms.