TSA workers hit third period without paychecks during DHS shutdown

TSA workers hit their third period without paychecks, which an employee union leader called a "national disgrace", as Delta Air Lines suspended its airport escorts and red coat services for members of Congress and negotiations toward a potential DHS funding deal intensify.

Objective Facts

Roughly 61,000 TSA employees are working without pay during the partial government shutdown, which began February 14. The workers missed their first full paycheck in mid-March, after only receiving a partial paycheck at the end of February. More than 450 TSA workers have quit since the partial shutdown began on February 14, and as of Monday, 10.93% of TSA employees across the country had called in sick or notified employers they couldn't work their scheduled shifts, with Houston's William P. Hobby Airport at 40.3% and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta at 37.4%. Delta issued a statement saying it would temporarily suspend specialty services for members of Congress "due to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown." TSA workers hit their third period without a paycheck since funding for parts of the Department of Homeland Security was halted because of an impasse between the White House and Congress over immigration enforcement and voting policies.

Left-Leaning Perspective

Democratic leadership has introduced legislation to fund every agency within the Department of Homeland Security except Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection, while Republicans drag their feet on common-sense reforms to rein in ICE and Border Patrol. Democrats have demanded requirements like body cameras, visible identification, adequate training standards, and basic standards on things like use of force and requiring warrants before agents smash in doors and drag someone away. Several bills put forward by Democrats to fund TSA while a larger deal on DHS is worked out have failed to pass, with Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse saying "Democrats have offered to pay the salaries — fully fund, no conditions — for TSA." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer made clear that "This is a problem of policy, not personnel" and "The rot is deep. No one person can straighten this up until the president changes the whole agency, stops the violence and reins in Immigration and Customs Enforcement." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters on Tuesday that any emerging deal "will contain significant reform in it," framing the shutdown not as Democrats obstruction but as a principled stand against unchecked immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. The left's narrative emphasizes that ICE was already funded through Trump's 2025 tax bill, making their demand for oversight reasonable rather than obstructionist.

Right-Leaning Perspective

Rep. Carlos Gimenez backs President Donald Trump's plan to deploy ICE agents to airports as the DHS shutdown hits day 37, saying the plan will "speed up the process" for frustrated American travelers. Sen. Katie Boyd Britt says Democrats are to blame for making TSA employees miss paychecks and that "Democrats need to end their political posturing, stop using our TSA agents as political pawns, and fully fund DHS," with Republicans insisting on complete department funding. Since much of ICE is already funded through Trump's big tax breaks bill and immigration officers are still receiving paychecks despite the shutdown, Republicans can claim they prevented more significant restraints on immigration operations while Democrats say they stopped the flow of additional ICE funds. Trump is doubling down that he does not want to agree to any deals to fund TSA and other agencies until Democrats agree to pass his SAVE America Act, which critics have blasted as a massive voter suppression bill. The Department of Homeland Security said "This pointless, reckless shutdown of our homeland security workforce has caused more than 400 TSA officers to quit and thousands to call out from work because they are not able to afford gas, childcare, food, or rent," squarely blaming Democrats. The right's positioning emphasizes that Democrats are weaponizing a discrete agency's shutdown to extract broader policy concessions on immigration.

Deep Dive

The current shutdown stems from a previous agreement: when the government-wide shutdown ended in November, both parties agreed to negotiate DHS funding separately, setting up a political stalemate over continued funding for DHS. This impasse comes amid demands from Democratic lawmakers to rein in immigration agencies, fueled by the high-profile killing of U.S. citizens such as Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents during a crackdown in Minnesota. The Minneapolis shootings function as a fulcrum for the entire debate—Democrats cite them as proof that immigration enforcement agencies require oversight; Republicans frame Democratic demands as using isolated incidents to constrain legitimate law enforcement. The asymmetry that fuels union anger is structural: Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act included about $75 billion for ICE over four years, meaning ICE agents receive paychecks while TSA workers—whose budget cycles through appropriations—do not. The emerging compromise would allow Republicans to pursue a party-line bill funding ICE separately and including provisions of the SAVE America Act (Trump's voter-ID bill), without including some ICE reforms Democrats have demanded like judicial warrants or mask bans. This suggests Republicans have leverage: they can fund ICE through reconciliation without Democratic votes. What remains uncertain is whether Trump will accept a deal that funds TSA without forcing Democrats to vote on his voter-ID bill—as of March 24, Trump has blown up prior efforts, issuing ultimatums that the voting bill be included. Delta Air Lines' decision to suspend congressional perks is a notable escalation: it signals private industry frustration with both parties and creates reputational pressure on lawmakers by making the shutdown viscerally real to the people responsible for ending it. The move is politically asymmetric—it hits lawmakers regardless of ideology—which may explain why even Republican Rep. Nancy Mace applauded the move, saying "If the Senate can't get it together and fund TSA, let them feel what every other American is feeling." What remains to watch is whether this private-sector pressure and signs of deal momentum will overcome Trump's voter-ID demands or whether the shutdown will continue into the first weeks of April when Congress is scheduled to be in recess.

OBJ SPEAKING

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TSA workers hit third period without paychecks during DHS shutdown

TSA workers hit their third period without paychecks, which an employee union leader called a "national disgrace", as Delta Air Lines suspended its airport escorts and red coat services for members of Congress and negotiations toward a potential DHS funding deal intensify.

Mar 25, 2026
What's Going On

Roughly 61,000 TSA employees are working without pay during the partial government shutdown, which began February 14. The workers missed their first full paycheck in mid-March, after only receiving a partial paycheck at the end of February. More than 450 TSA workers have quit since the partial shutdown began on February 14, and as of Monday, 10.93% of TSA employees across the country had called in sick or notified employers they couldn't work their scheduled shifts, with Houston's William P. Hobby Airport at 40.3% and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta at 37.4%. Delta issued a statement saying it would temporarily suspend specialty services for members of Congress "due to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown." TSA workers hit their third period without a paycheck since funding for parts of the Department of Homeland Security was halted because of an impasse between the White House and Congress over immigration enforcement and voting policies.

Left says: Democrats argue that "if Republicans agreed to simple reforms, all of DHS could be funded tomorrow" and that Republicans are blocking legislation to fund every agency within the Department of Homeland Security—except Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection—while demanding common-sense reforms to rein in ICE and Border Patrol. Democrats contend that "TSA agents should not go without pay because Republicans refuse to agree to commonsense reforms" and that "Republicans would rather keep DHS shut down than work with Democrats to prevent more Americans from being killed by masked federal agents."
Right says: Republicans blame Democrats, with Sen. Katie Boyd Britt saying "This is absolutely unacceptable" and that "Democrats need to end their political posturing, stop using our TSA agents as political pawns, and fully fund DHS," arguing for complete department funding rather than partial measures. The Trump administration and GOP lawmakers have opposed Democrats' offer to provide money for some parts of DHS including TSA while negotiations continue, with TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl saying the onus is on Democrats to "please get cash back into our TSA agents' pockets."
✓ Common Ground
Voices across the spectrum acknowledge the severe human cost: during last fall's 43-day shutdown, around 1,110 TSA officers quit, with many citing "uncertainty, stress, missed paychecks, and financial hardships of the government shutdown."
Members of the travel industry, including airline executives, have blasted lawmakers across the aisle for failing to pay essential government workers during repeated shutdowns that have snarled travel.
Both sides claim political wins from emerging deal proposals—Democrats say they stopped the flow of additional ICE funds while achieving agreed-upon changes, while Republicans claim they prevented more significant restraints on immigration operations.
Some Republicans, including Rep. Nancy Mace, applauded Delta's move to suspend congressional travel perks, writing "If the Senate can't get it together and fund TSA, let them feel what every other American is feeling," indicating bipartisan frustration with negotiation stalemates.
There is recognition across the spectrum that repeated shutdowns within months represent an unsustainable pattern; even Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, acknowledges the "growing exhaustion is a natural response to the professional and financial instability workers experience."
Objective Deep Dive

The current shutdown stems from a previous agreement: when the government-wide shutdown ended in November, both parties agreed to negotiate DHS funding separately, setting up a political stalemate over continued funding for DHS. This impasse comes amid demands from Democratic lawmakers to rein in immigration agencies, fueled by the high-profile killing of U.S. citizens such as Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents during a crackdown in Minnesota. The Minneapolis shootings function as a fulcrum for the entire debate—Democrats cite them as proof that immigration enforcement agencies require oversight; Republicans frame Democratic demands as using isolated incidents to constrain legitimate law enforcement.

The asymmetry that fuels union anger is structural: Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act included about $75 billion for ICE over four years, meaning ICE agents receive paychecks while TSA workers—whose budget cycles through appropriations—do not. The emerging compromise would allow Republicans to pursue a party-line bill funding ICE separately and including provisions of the SAVE America Act (Trump's voter-ID bill), without including some ICE reforms Democrats have demanded like judicial warrants or mask bans. This suggests Republicans have leverage: they can fund ICE through reconciliation without Democratic votes. What remains uncertain is whether Trump will accept a deal that funds TSA without forcing Democrats to vote on his voter-ID bill—as of March 24, Trump has blown up prior efforts, issuing ultimatums that the voting bill be included.

Delta Air Lines' decision to suspend congressional perks is a notable escalation: it signals private industry frustration with both parties and creates reputational pressure on lawmakers by making the shutdown viscerally real to the people responsible for ending it. The move is politically asymmetric—it hits lawmakers regardless of ideology—which may explain why even Republican Rep. Nancy Mace applauded the move, saying "If the Senate can't get it together and fund TSA, let them feel what every other American is feeling." What remains to watch is whether this private-sector pressure and signs of deal momentum will overcome Trump's voter-ID demands or whether the shutdown will continue into the first weeks of April when Congress is scheduled to be in recess.

◈ Tone Comparison

Democratic rhetoric focuses on institutional safeguards and civil liberties—using words like "reforms," "guardrails," and references to specific incidents (Minneapolis shootings)—to justify withholding funding. Republican rhetoric emphasizes immediate consequences and portrays Democrats as weaponizing worker paychecks—using "reckless," "political games," and "hostage"—to pressure ideology. Both sides claim to defend vulnerable workers while accusing the other of instrumentalizing their suffering.

✕ Key Disagreements
Who bears responsibility for the shutdown
Left: Democrats argue Republicans refuse to agree to commonsense reforms and are willing to keep DHS shut down to avoid constraining immigration enforcement agencies.
Right: DHS leadership states "Democrats continue to play political games with the livelihoods of our TSA officers and their families" and insist "It's time for them to end their shutdown and pay our TSA agents."
Whether partial DHS funding (excluding ICE) is acceptable during ongoing negotiations
Left: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer advocates to "keep negotiating the outstanding issues with ICE while sending paychecks to TSA workers now" and to "end those long lines at the airport now."
Right: House Speaker Mike Johnson said a DHS funding bill that does not include funding for ICE would not be his preference, arguing "we're prepared to do it again, completely fund the entire department."
The appropriateness of ICE deployment to airports
Left: Union leaders call ICE deployment "a straight-up distraction" and "an insult to the employees," with some arguing the administration is using it "to move in that direction" toward privatized airport security.
Right: Trump is sending ICE agents to airports plagued by long security lines, with border czar Tom Homan saying ICE will handle security tasks so TSA can focus on expertise like X-ray scans.
What concessions justify ending the shutdown
Left: Democrats demand immigration operation reforms including mandating body cameras and identification, and ensuring judges sign off on warrants for immigration officers to search homes.
Right: Trump demands Democrats agree to pass his SAVE America Act, which would implement national voter-ID mandates and require proof of citizenship to register.