United States airport security workers who have not received their salary since the start of the partial government shutdown are set to be paid, in a bid by President Trump to stem walkouts that are causing critical staff shortages and delays across the country’s aviation hubs.
Trump announced the move in a social media post, saying he was ordering the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to “immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation.”
The Radical Left Democrats, and their “Leader,” Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, have made it very clear where they stand, and that is, ON THE SIDE OF CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, AND NOT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. They are refusing to fund Immigration Enforcement unless the Republicans agree to…
— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) March 26, 2026
There are nearly 50,000 TSA screening staff in the US, in roles considered so “essential” that they are required to carry on working without pay during budget shutdowns and who missed a full paycheck two weeks ago. As households struggle and some workers prioritise paid gig employment, high rates of staff absence have left the US airport security systems vulnerable. Many of those staff will not be returning, amid almost 500 resignations, as workers who endured weeks with no pay during the longest ever shutdown in autumn 2025 have decided that the latest federal impasse is too much.
🚨🇺🇸 #TSA lines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in #Houston have reportedly hit 150-minute waits, stretching from security checkpoints through terminals and into baggage claim.
— Global Pulse (@movielover93582) March 20, 2026
With jet fuel costs surging since the war began and airfares climbing, pressure on U.S.… pic.twitter.com/ZfZyFgbOOy
At some hubs, the staff shortages are resulting in queues around terminal buildings. In Houston, the George Bush Intercontinental Airport has experienced a TSA absence rate of 40%, and only a third to half of the checkpoints are operating, according to Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System.
In at least 13 major US airports, Trump has already brought in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) teams, who are paid through a different mechanism than TSA staff under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. But with commentators questioning whether ICE agents have the training or authority to conduct passenger screening, the usefulness of these reinforcement teams in reducing airport backlogs is unclear.
Blame the Democrats for the Airport’s mess. They want our Country to do badly. They want our Country to fail. They broke the already signed Bill because they want to take care of Criminals who enter our Country illegally, rather than American citizens. Thank you to our great ICE…
— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) March 25, 2026
The latest proposal, bypassing Congress to ensure TSA workers themselves are paid, is also under fire for being without legal basis. Josh Chafetz, a professor of law and politics at Georgetown University, told the BBC the measure could be “a violation of the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits spending money that has not been appropriated by Congress.” Trump has not yet given details about how he intends to get around that problem, but the Wall Street Journal reports that one way to do so could be to pay the TSA staff with funds from the National Emergencies Act.
Meanwhile, the Senate majority leader, John Thune, has said finding a payment method for TSA staff takes “the immediate pressure off but it’s a short-term solution.”
