Hundreds of unpaid TSA agents have quit after the government shutdown left them without pay for the past month - fueling even longer wait times at airport security. More than 300 officers have given up since the shutdown began on February 14, while many more workers have been taking unscheduled absences, per CBS. The exodus will only exacerbate the long lines facing passengers at airports across the US, where travelers have been told to brace for unusually long delays. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, which is the busiest airport in the world by passenger numbers, has advised people to arrive three hours early.
Meanwhile, at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, travelers have shared videos of lines stretching out of the terminal and into the parking lot. The airport has asked passengers to arrive 2.5 hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international departures. On Saturday, TSA warned via X: '3+ hour TSA lines for travelers. 300+ TSA officers who have quit. 'A $0 paycheck for those continuing to serve. Enough is enough. No more playing politics with the lives of Americans. The Democrat shutdown of DHS must end now.'
Short-staffed and unpaid TSA agents are having a particularly difficult time as the spring break season is fully underway, with millions of passengers going through airport security every day. This spring break season is expected to be one of the busiest ever. Airlines for America, an industry trade group, has projected that 171 million people will fly between March 1 and April 30, marking a four percent increase from the same period last year. Meanwhile, the TSA has been under 'emergency operating status' since February 22, due to the partial government shutdown that has left the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its subsidiary agencies without funding. On February 22, the DHS announced that TSA's 'resources are being consolidated to prioritize essential security operations and focus personnel on detecting and countering threats.'
Democrats in Congress have blocked a spending package that included $64.4 billion for DHS, refusing to fund the agency without significant reform after ICE agents fatally shot two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis. Like the TSA, ICE is a subsidiary agency of DHS. Other agencies under the DHS umbrella that have been impacted by the blocked funding include the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Customs and Border Protection. As the partial shutdown inches closer in length to the total government shutdown last year, which lasted a record 43 days, the DHS has been pinning blame on Democrats while increasing its calls for funding to be restored. The agency posted a flurry of tweets over the weekend to that tune. In one post, the agency said: 'Thanks to the Democrats' shutdown, travelers at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport are again seeing MASSIVE security lines this morning. The Democrats' political games are making spring break travel a NIGHTMARE for Americans as they continue to withhold funding from DHS and refuse to pay our heroic TSA officers.'
In another tweet, the agency said: 'Airports coast to coast are seeing major delays, HOURS-long security lines, and missed flights because of the Democrats' DHS shutdown. SAVE SPRING BREAK. REOPEN DHS NOW.' On Truth Social, President Trump shared a post that said: 'Thank you to Johnny Jones and all of our GREAT TSA Agents who are going to work but not being paid because the Radical Left Democrats refuse to honor the deal that was approved and voted on in Congress. 'They want your money to go to "Border Criminals, Murderers, foreign Drug Dealers, and some of the worst people on earth." They don't want it to go to you. Keep fighting for the USA. GO TO WORK! I promise that I will never forget you!!! President DJT.'
Despite increasing calls to restore funding, there is currently no end to the partial shutdown in sight. Senate Republicans are not expected to receive the 60 votes they need to fund DHS during the next scheduled vote on Monday, and from March 30 through April 10, the Senate will be in recess. Odds on Polymarket and Kalshi forecast the partial shutdown lasting 59 days, which would make it the longest shutdown - partial or otherwise - on record by a large margin.