TSA lines stretch for hours as Department of Homeland Security shuts down
The Department of Homeland Security shutdown has caused chaos, with TSA lines stretching for hours.
President Donald Trump thanked Transportation Security Administration employees and urged them to “go to work” as TSA agents are forced to work without pay due to the partial government shutdown.
President Trump took to social media on March 15 to thank current TSA employees, calling them “amazing” while blaming “radical left Democrats” for the lack of pay.
“Keep fighting for America. Go to work!” Trump wrote in a March 15 post on Truth Social. “I promise I will never forget you!!!”
President Trump’s message comes as security lines at airports across the country continue to grow and TSA agents continue to work without pay, with employees missing their full pay for the first time on Friday, March 13th.
The changes to wait times and pay are the result of a partial shutdown that began in mid-February after Congress failed to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the TSA.
Approximately 50,000 TSA employees remain on the job but have not been paid their regular paychecks during the funding lapse, raising concerns about staffing shortages and absenteeism as spring break travel increases throughout March. Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of AFGE TSA Council 100 and a Dallas-based TSA official, previously told USA TODAY that several airport security agents are already running low on funds to cover their bills, with some reporting their bank accounts to be zero or negative.
President Trump mentioned TSA Officer Jones by name in a March 15 social media post, thanking him along with other employees who “go to work and don’t get paid.”
Officials like Jones aren’t the only ones calling for an end to the shutdown. Most recently, the CEOs of Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Atlas Air Worldwide, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Airlines for America, FedEx, and UPS called on Congress to immediately provide funding to DHS to alleviate the pay shortfalls and long wait times people are experiencing.
Contributed by Rachel Barber and Zach Wichter, USA TODAY
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or X @katecperez_.
