Airline staff left unpaid as America's federal closure enters its fifth week

Air travel in the United States is facing significant disruptions due to a partial government shutdown, which has resulted in a shortage of travel safety agents and extended delays for air passengers, as seen at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas on March 10, 2026.

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The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees US air travel security, has had its funding frozen since February 14, due to ongoing disagreements between Congressional Democrats and Republicans over Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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US airport security officers missed their first full paycheck on Friday, as the partial funding shutdown of the government approached the one-month mark, with no breakthrough in the congressional standoff that is disrupting travel across the country.

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The lapse in funding is forcing thousands of Transportation Security Administration staff to work without pay, raising fears of staffing shortages, longer security lines, and flight delays, as spring travel picks up.

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TSA officers, who screen passengers, baggage, and cargo, received only partial pay two weeks ago, and Friday's missed payment represents the first full check lost since the shutdown began.

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Unions and government officials warn that the financial strain is pushing some workers to quit or seek other jobs, with more than 300 TSA employees already leaving the agency since the shutdown began on February 14.

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President Donald Trump has accused Democrats of willful obstructionism, stating "These are people that hate our country" and "These are people that have Trump Derangement Syndrome…Anything I say, they go the opposite" in an interview with Fox News Radio.

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US media has reported that unscheduled absences among TSA staff have more than doubled, and airports in several cities have warned passengers to arrive hours earlier than usual due to long security lines.

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Some officers are taking on second jobs or relying on donations, while several major airports are collecting gift cards and stocking food pantries for TSA staff struggling without pay, according to union officials.

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Johnny Jones, a Dallas-based official in government workers' union AFGE, stated "Numerous employees have reported to me that their bank accounts are at zero or negative" and "No funds for daycare, no funds for food."

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The shutdown stems from a dispute over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the only federal department still without an approved budget after Congress completed most of its spending bills last year.

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Democrats say they will not support funding immigration enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection without reforms to their operations, while Republicans accuse Democrats of refusing to negotiate.

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The stalemate has hardened in the Senate, where Democrats have repeatedly blocked legislation passed by the Republican-controlled House to fund the department, and Republicans have rejected a Democratic proposal to fund other DHS agencies while leaving immigration enforcement unresolved.

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The Department of Homeland Security stated "Thanks to the Democrats' reckless shutdown, security lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport are stretching OUT THE DOOR" and "The Democrats' political games are making spring break travel a NIGHTMARE as they continue to withhold funding from DHS and refuse to pay our (TSA) officers."

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Airports and travel groups warn that the impact could intensify if the shutdown drags on, with exhausted workers leaving and further straining security operations nationwide.

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Senate Democratic Minority leader Chuck Schumer stated "Democrats have tried — six separate times — to pass simple bills to keep these critical parts of DHS running while negotiations continue" and "Six times Republicans came to the floor and blocked them."

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Schumer emphasized that "TSA officers shouldn’t miss paychecks, disaster relief shouldn’t be left hanging, and Americans' safety shouldn’t be collateral damage in a political standoff Republicans created."