All articles tagged with #governmentshutdown
Most TSA officers who had been working without pay during the DHS shutdown finally received retroactive pay for missed periods, though a small number may face delays due to processing. DHS is coordinating with the National Finance Center to issue the remaining half-pay from the first week of the shutdown. Unions warn the disruption is fueling attrition and recruitment challenges as lawmakers continue to debate funding.
TSA officers who had been working without pay during the partial government shutdown are expected to start receiving their paychecks as early as Monday, according to DHS. President Trump said the executive branch would fund TSA without waiting for Congress, as lawmakers bargain over DHS funding and travelers continue to experience longer security lines.
President Trump said he will sign an executive order to restart pay for TSA officers unpaid during the DHS shutdown, directing Homeland Security Secretary Mullin to resume pay immediately, though the legal authority to do so is unclear; the move comes as absences rise and airport lines grow while lawmakers haggle over DHS funding and potential further steps.
More than 450 TSA agents have quit in about six weeks of the partial government shutdown, with roughly 11.7% of agents absent at peak, creating record-long security lines at major airports and complicating staffing for summer travel and FIFA World Cup venues. Union leaders say pay constraints are pushing workers to resign, and recruiters may struggle to replace them quickly even after the shutdown ends.
TSA officers say a government shutdown has left them without pay, forcing them to dip into savings and rely on food banks as the crisis drags on; with some considering other jobs to make ends meet, frontline workers illustrate the personal toll of political gridlock.
At George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, TSA staffing shortages during a partial government shutdown have turned security into a three-floor bottleneck with wait times over four hours in Terminal A and E as PreCheck and CLEAR lanes are closed. ICE officers are deployed to 14 airports to help move lines, while travelers cope with long waits, limited food options, and ADA-accessibility gaps, often rebooking or staying overnight to make flights.
Amid a partial U.S. government shutdown, about 75 ICE officers were deployed to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to perform non-screening duties while TSA workers go unpaid; officers were seen at exits, many wearing masks despite a directive from Trump, and some armed, prompting concerns of intimidation. Chicago officials say they will monitor the deployment and keep travel safe, while TSA unions say the agency is strained as funding fights between Democrats and Republicans continue.
With TSA officers missing pay due to a partial government shutdown, long security lines at major hubs led to ICE agents being deployed to several U.S. airports to help move lines and relieve TSA duties. DHS blamed Democrats for the funding impasse while travelers face delays, including disruptions at JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark, where a ground stop and a separate collision contributed to travel chaos.
Nationwide travel disruption continues as TSA staffing shortages during the partial DHS shutdown cause fluctuating security lines at major airports—some waits exceed an hour, others reach over two hours—while more than 1,000 flights are canceled or delayed; with hundreds of TSA workers calling out or leaving, lawmakers debate funding and reforms as communities rally to support TSA staff.
With DHS funding still lapsed, about 61,000 TSA workers must report for duty while missing their first full paycheck, forcing many to borrow money, tap retirement funds, or rely on community aid as spring travel approaches; back pay is guaranteed by law but won’t arrive until lawmakers resolve the shutdown, a combination that has boosted absences, strained schedules, and airport wait times.
The Senate blocked a measure to reopen the Department of Homeland Security as the partial government shutdown nears two months; Rep. James Clyburn announced he’ll seek an 18th term, while a bipartisan housing affordability bill advanced in the Senate (though its House fate remains unclear). In other news, a deadly Moscow concert hall attack led to 19 convictions, deadly landslides struck Ethiopia with dozens dead or missing, and U.S. stocks fell as oil prices surged amid ongoing Iran tensions.
A Syracuse TSA employee, Anthony Riley, says he’s worked four weeks without pay during the DHS shutdown, risking eviction and financial ruin as he tries to support his family, while lawmakers wrestle over funding and aid options.
TSA staffing shortages amid the partial U.S. government shutdown have led to hourslong security lines at several airports, with travelers urged to arrive 3–5 hours early. Officers are working without regular pay, and airports such as Houston’s Hobby, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, and New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong have warned of long waits as spring travel begins.
As a partial federal shutdown continues, Houston’s Hobby and New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong airports faced hours-long security lines with limited staffing and closed PreCheck, prompting airport advisories to arrive 3–4 hours before flights and raising the risk of missed travel during the spring-break rush.
The White House dismissed Democrats’ latest offer to fund the Department of Homeland Security, saying talks remain far apart as Congress heads into recess. Democrats are pushing immigration-enforcement reforms (e.g., stricter guardrails on ICE and judicial warrants) while the administration vows to enforce federal immigration law, leaving the path to a quick deal unclear.