![]()
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday directing the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to provide TSA employees with the pay they would have received if not for the DHS shutdown.
"Once regular funding for TSA has been restored, every effort should be made, as authorized by law, to adjust applicable funding accounts within DHS to ensure the continuation of DHS operations and activities consistent with planned expenditures prior to the lapse." said the order.
Almost 500 TSA officers (TSOs) have quit during the shutdown and thousands have called in sick due to the lack of pay. This has resulted in a worker shortage at airports as travellers have experienced wait times up to 4 hours and ICE agents were sent in to fill non-trained roles. Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl warned that smaller airports in the U.S. could be forced to shut down if more security workers call in sick or quit. The Modern Skies Coalition claimed on Wednesday that TSOs have worked without pay for half of the fiscal year, considering the 43-day shutdown in fall 2025.
Some of the worst disruptions have been reported at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).
RELATED STORIES:
Modern Skies Coalition issues statement to Congress to pay essential aviation workers
Trump deploys ICE to assist with long TSA lines during DHS shutdown
Smaller airports could close due to Department of Homeland Security shutdown
The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it longer than the 2025 shutdown. Despite the order, airports are still urging travellers to arrive early and ICE agents remain, according to AP News. White House border czar Tom Homan claims that the ICE agents' placements will depend on whether the TSA staffing shortage continues.
"If less TSA agents come back, that means we'll keep more ICE agents there," said Homan to CBS News. "The president has been clear. He wants to secure those airports, especially, as I said earlier, in an increased threat posture, we need to secure those airports. ICE is there to help our brothers and sisters in TSA. We'll be there as long as they need us, until they get back to normal operations and feel like those airports are secure."