DHS Shutdown Leaves TSA Unpaid as 400+ Officers Quit, ICE Agents Deployed to Checkpoints and TSA Warns Some Staff Are Selling Blood Plasma
The month‑long DHS shutdown has left roughly 50,000 TSA employees working without pay and prompted more than 300 — by some counts over 400 — officers to quit while unscheduled absences have spiked, producing hours‑long security waits, checkpoint closures and airport donation drives to feed unpaid staff. With ICE largely insulated by prior funding and therefore paid, ICE agents have been deployed to some airports to assist with crowd control as Congress wrangles over funding carve‑outs and reforms, and TSA leaders warn unpaid workers are resorting to measures such as selling blood plasma and sleeping in cars to get by.
📌 Key Facts
- The DHS partial shutdown began Feb. 14, 2026; roughly 50,000–60,000 TSA employees have been classified as essential and required to work without pay, and many missed their first full paycheck in mid‑March with a second full pay period at risk by late March.
- TSA attrition and unscheduled absences have spiked: more than 300 officers quit early in the shutdown and reports by March 24 put total resignations at over 400; call‑out rates have more than doubled (from about 2% pre‑shutdown), peaking above 10% nationally and exceeding 30–40% at some major hubs (e.g., Atlanta, Houston, LaGuardia, JFK), forcing checkpoint closures and wait times as long as three to five hours.
- Airports, unions and nonprofits have organized food pantries and donation drives and airlines and local communities are offering gift cards and other assistance, while unions report many TSOs are facing eviction, sleeping in cars, taking second jobs, or selling blood/plasma to cover basic expenses; ethics rules mean third‑party intermediaries typically deliver donated aid.
- To mitigate staffing gaps, the administration has deployed ICE agents to about a dozen airports — principally for crowd control and to support operations rather than performing TSA screening — a move that unions and some local officials oppose because ICE personnel lack screening training and remain paid due to prior 2025 appropriations that pre‑funded much of ICE’s budget.
- The shutdown stems from a political standoff: Senate Democrats are conditioning DHS funding on statutory reforms to ICE/CBP (including visible IDs, body cameras, limits on mask use and warrantless home entries, and limits on enforcement at sensitive locations) after two deadly Minneapolis incidents; Republicans insist on full‑agency funding and have repeatedly blocked carve‑outs.
- Business and legislative pressures: major airline CEOs publicly urged Congress to restore DHS funding and backed bills to guarantee pay for aviation workers during shutdowns; lawmakers proposed various fixes (TSA‑only funding, a Transportation Security Trust Fund financed by the aviation security fee, discharge petitions, and reconciliation options) but votes have repeatedly failed or remained contested.
- Security and operational warnings: TSA and transportation officials — and independent aviation experts — say prolonged unpaid staffing and high call‑out rates risk exploitable security gaps and could force temporary shutdowns of smaller airports; airlines have issued travel waivers and some carriers suspended specialty services for members of Congress as strain widened.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (3)
What Tom Homan does next
"A Playbook dispatch argues that Tom Homan is proactively courting incoming DHS leader Markwayne Mullin to avoid being sidelined like he was under Kristi Noem, positioning himself to shape tougher interior‑enforcement policy — but warns Mullin’s confirmation and any shift will play out amid a punishing DHS shutdown and internal friction that could limit or complicate those ambitions."
DAVID MARCUS: Craven politics is the only excuse left for Dems refusing to fund DHS
"A Fox News opinion piece criticizes Senate and House Democratic leaders for politically blocking DHS funding despite concessions and national‑security risks, arguing the remaining objections are minor and the shutdown endangers TSA agents and public safety."
Put Chuck Schumer on TSA Duty
"A WSJ editorial blames Senate Democrats — singling out Chuck Schumer — for the monthlong DHS funding lapse that left TSA workers unpaid and produced severe airport security delays, urging accountability (even symbolically putting Schumer on TSA duty) and an immediate funding resolution."
📰 Source Timeline (68)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 24, 2026
11:00 PM
TSA warns shutdown is forcing some workers to draw blood to pay for gas
New information:
- Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl says some unpaid TSA agents are having blood plasma drawn to afford gas and that some are sleeping in cars.
- Stahl states more than 400 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began on Feb. 14 and warns the situation will worsen as the shutdown continues.
- Stahl highlights that over 50,000 TSA personnel will miss a second full paycheck if DHS funding is not restored by Friday and flags particular strain during spring break travel and upcoming FIFA World Cup preparations.
- Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., publicly characterizes TSA agents as "American heroes" at a press conference at Reagan National and presses how many workers would stay after three missed paychecks.
- President Trump, asked about unpaid TSA agents, accuses Democrats of "doing anything to hurt our country so they can try and win the midterms."
10:45 PM
News Wrap: Mullin sworn in as Homeland Security secretary
New information:
- PBS reports that some Republican senators believe they have reached a deal to end the DHS shutdown, but does not specify content, dollar amounts, or treatment of ICE Enforcement and SAVE Act provisions.
8:16 PM
Fetterman slams Democratic 'mess' as TSA workers miss paychecks during DHS shutdown
New information:
- Sen. John Fetterman, D‑Pa., publicly criticized his own party over the DHS shutdown on Fox News, saying he 'refuse[s] to always vote to shut our government down' and would 'never be a part of this mess.'
- Fetterman emphasized that TSA agents, averaging about $50,000 a year, have now missed a full paycheck and are struggling financially while still facing large airport crowds.
- The article specifies that Democrats have been pushing carve‑outs to fund TSA and other parts of DHS without full ICE funding, a strategy Republicans have rejected.
- President Trump posted on Truth Social that ICE agents would be sent to airports starting Monday to help unpaid TSA staff with airport operations during the shutdown and explicitly tied this move to his broader fight with 'Radical Left Democrats' over DHS funding.
- Trump added that ICE agents assisting at airports should do so without masks, echoing his prior criticism of masked immigration enforcement, and injecting a political/cultural condition into the deployment.
6:59 PM
Delta suspends special services for lawmakers amid government shutdown
New information:
- Delta Air Lines has temporarily suspended its 'specialty services' for members of Congress—including airport escorts and Red Coat assistance—because the prolonged DHS shutdown is straining its own resources.
- Delta says lawmakers will now face the same airport conditions as other passengers unless they qualify via SkyMiles status rather than their government positions.
- Passengers at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport reported multi‑hour TSA lines with limited access to water, air conditioning and other essentials, raising concerns about how emergencies in the queues would be handled.
- The piece notes that long‑line passengers are explicitly blaming Congress and calling for passage of a DHS funding measure to fully reopen the government.
- It reports that Senate Republicans have sent Democrats a formal offer they say would fund most of DHS and are publicly signaling optimism that a deal to end the six‑week shutdown is close.
6:01 PM
Why do ICE agents get paid during the partial government shutdown, but not TSA?
New information:
- Explains that ICE salaries are insulated from the current DHS shutdown because Trump’s 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act pre‑funded ICE with about $75 billion over four years, including $45 billion for detention beds and $30 billion for hiring and facilities.
- Clarifies that roughly 95% of TSA’s 60,000 employees are classified as essential and must work unpaid during the shutdown, with back pay only guaranteed once funding is restored under a 2019 law.
- Details Democrats’ specific list of ten proposed statutory limits on ICE tactics (judicial warrants to enter private property, visible IDs, bans on masks, no enforcement at hospitals/schools/churches, body‑camera use, etc.) that are at the core of the current funding impasse.
- Reports that White House negotiators Tom Homan and James Braid countered with a softer offer (expanded body‑camera use, limited enforcement in hospitals and schools, more visible identification) that stops short of codifying Democrats’ demands in law.
- Notes that a Democratic motion to fund only TSA failed along party lines on March 21, and that Democrats have also proposed a bill funding most of DHS (including TSA, FEMA and Coast Guard) while withholding money for ICE and CBP.
5:42 PM
Senate closes in on potential deal to end DHS shutdown
New information:
- Senate Republicans now have a specific proposal on the table to fund 94% of DHS and end the shutdown that has been driving the TSA staffing crisis and extended airport lines documented in earlier reporting.
- The emerging deal would leave ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations funding for a later budget reconciliation fight while restoring funding to TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and other DHS components most directly tied to air‑travel snarls.
- Trump initially tried to block any DHS funding deal not tied directly to the SAVE America Act but is now weighing a reconciliation‑based workaround, suggesting potential near‑term relief for TSA if Democrats accept.
- Democrats’ insistence on ICE reforms stems from two deadly ICE‑agent shootings in Minneapolis in January, which is the immediate policy trigger underlying the broader shutdown that has impacted TSA operations.
5:37 PM
Congress loses a flying perk as DHS shutdown continues
New information:
- Delta Air Lines has temporarily suspended specialty services for members of Congress, including airport escorts and 'red coat' services, citing resource strain from the prolonged DHS shutdown.
- Delta says members of Congress will now be treated like any other passenger based on their SkyMiles status.
- Delta CEO Ed Bastian publicly called the shutdown 'inexcusable' and said he is 'outraged' that unpaid TSA officers are being used as 'political chips.'
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats are having 'productive conversations' on ICE reforms but urged funding TSA workers immediately, arguing ICE negotiations 'should not get in the way' of paying them.
- A bill from Sen. John Cornyn to prohibit preferential airport screening for members of Congress has cleared the Senate but has not yet been taken up by the House.
5:01 PM
Airlines issue travel waivers as airport chaos widens amid shutdown
New information:
- Major U.S. airlines — Allegiant, Delta and United — are now issuing specific travel waivers tied to TSA delays caused by the DHS shutdown, allowing passengers to change or cancel flights without typical fees.
- Allegiant has rolled out a "travel with confidence" guarantee letting customers change or cancel eligible itineraries at no additional cost during the shutdown, with refunds available in some cases if they contact customer service directly.
- Delta’s waiver applies to passengers traveling through Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport on a specified Tuesday, permitting rebooking through March 30 with fare differences waived in the same cabin.
- United has issued a special waiver for travelers to and from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston with original travel dates March 23–24, waiving all change fees and fare differences if rebooked by March 31 in the same cabin and between the same cities.
- CBS highlights passenger accounts, including traveler Summer Martinez missing three Houston flights due to approximately five‑hour TSA lines, underscoring the human impact of the shutdown‑driven delays.
4:06 PM
What it's like to stand in TSA line during DHS funding fight
New information:
- At Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, TSA staffing was around 36% on Tuesday, contributing to security lines that stretched across three terminals and three stories, including outside the building and through a basement subway corridor.
- Passengers at IAH reported wait times of up to five hours, with overhead announcements advising travelers with departures within four hours to consider rebooking and many passengers missing flights.
- The article describes specific conditions in the basement corridor—no food, water, working air conditioning, restrooms, and limited cell service—illustrating potential health and safety risks from the prolonged lines.
- A pilot told the reporter that one of his busiest flights the previous day left with only about 50 passengers on a 220‑seat aircraft because of the TSA bottlenecks.
- The piece notes that, despite reports of ICE personnel being reassigned to airports, their presence was not evident along the security lines at IAH on Tuesday morning.
- The story reports widespread traveler frustration directed broadly at Washington rather than at front‑line TSA officers, with some passengers calling for political accountability and urging others to vote.
3:44 PM
WATCH LIVE: Senate meets as lawmakers consider deal to fund Homeland Security
New information:
- Introduces a specific Senate negotiation framework to end the DHS shutdown by funding TSA and most of DHS while excluding ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations.
- Adds detail that Trump ordered ICE officers to provide airport security over the weekend, which senators view as an 'extraordinary' step that could escalate tensions at already strained airports.
- Proposes that any agreement would include operational guardrails preventing CBP and ICE Homeland Security Investigations from being repurposed for urban immigration roundups, plus new body‑camera and identification requirements.
- Links Democratic demands directly to the deaths of two U.S. citizens at ICE protest sites in Minneapolis, a fact used to justify demands for enforcement restraints as part of funding.
1:34 PM
Cornyn targets lawmakers’ airport fast pass as TSA lines grow during DHS shutdown
New information:
- Identifies the bill by name as the End Special Treatment for Congress at Airports Act and confirms it unanimously passed the Senate.
- Details that the bill would bar lawmakers from bypassing standard TSA screening or receiving priority treatment based on official status, while still allowing them to use TSA PreCheck and similar programs.
- Reports Cornyn’s floor argument that Democrats are 'out of touch' and that members should experience the same 'mess of their own making,' directly tying the measure to the DHS shutdown and TSA sick-outs.
- Clarifies the bill must still be taken up by the House before becoming law.
1:00 PM
Lawmakers’ airport perks in crosshairs as DHS shutdown snarls travelers, TSA
New information:
- Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) is introducing the End Special Treatment for Congress at Airports Act in the House, a companion to Sen. John Cornyn’s bill that passed the Senate by unanimous consent last week.
- The legislation would ban the use of taxpayer dollars for special airport treatment for members of Congress and require them to go through the same security screenings as other travelers, with those restrictions continuing even after DHS funding is restored.
- The article updates operational impacts: the DHS shutdown has now lasted 38 days, TSA agents will miss a second full pay period this Friday, and more than 400 TSA agents have quit since the shutdown began on Feb. 14.
- Fox reports that while TSA has paused formal lawmaker escorts since the funding lapse began, members of Congress may still be receiving special airport assistance from other entities.
11:13 AM
Senate confirms Sen. Mullin as DHS secretary. And, Iran denies U.S. talks to end war
New information:
- NPR reports that ICE agents arrived at 'around a dozen' airports yesterday, confirming that deployments have begun amid TSA sick-outs and resignations during the DHS shutdown.
- On-the-ground reporting from Atlanta (via Georgia Public Broadcasting) says ICE agents have mostly been seen walking near main security checkpoints, 'mainly patrolling the area rather than assisting with security lines.'
- Atlanta’s mayor says ICE will focus on crowd control in domestic terminals and report directly to TSA officers, rather than doing screening themselves.
- The TSA union opposes ICE agents working security, arguing they lack the necessary training, and is angry that ICE agents are being paid while TSA officers are still unpaid.
- NPR notes that, despite ICE’s presence, travelers on day one still faced long security lines, and most passengers interviewed questioned why ICE was there at all, seeing them 'mostly wandering around,' though at least one traveler voiced support for their deployment.
9:00 AM
ICE deployments created chaos for cities and cost them millions, NPR analysis finds
New information:
- NPR provides a national, city-by-city cost accounting of Trump-era ICE "Operation Metro Surge" deployments, showing they triggered large, unplanned overtime and public-order bills for local governments rather than being fiscally neutral.
- In Los Angeles, LAPD overtime spending spiked to $41 million in June 2025, versus a more typical monthly range of $18–$30 million, with about $17 million in spending between June 8–16 tied to ICE-related protests and roughly $12 million of that in overtime alone.
- In Minneapolis, police logged more than $6 million in overtime and standby pay between Jan. 7 and Feb. 8, more than double the department’s entire annual overtime budget of $2.3 million, as officers were pulled into protest response, facility security and other duties connected to ICE operations.
- The analysis documents that in Portland, Oregon, ICE deployments and the related protests and security details contributed to longer police response times for routine calls as already short-staffed departments were stretched thinner.
- The White House responded by asserting that "illegal aliens" cost U.S. taxpayers over $150 billion in 2023 and will add $177 billion in mandatory federal spending through 2034, figures NPR notes it has not independently verified.
March 23, 2026
11:40 PM
Republicans seek elusive path to restoring DHS funding
New information:
- Key GOP budget writers are now exploring a second budget reconciliation bill as a potential vehicle to restore DHS funding alongside a defense supplemental, a route not detailed in the earlier TSA‑focused coverage.
- Arrington and Graham are portrayed as the central architects of a reconciliation 2.0 package that would be fully offset and could address the DHS funding shortfall driving the TSA crisis.
9:50 PM
TSA lines at Houston airport a 3-floor nightmare amid staffing shortage
New information:
- Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport reports that TSA wait times in some terminals now exceed four hours, with public address messages warning passengers they may miss flights and should rebook.
- CBS observed that only two of the airport’s five terminals had TSA staffing on Monday, after nearly 40% of local TSA employees called out, creating a single serpentine line that spans three floors and extends into the underground train corridor.
- ICE agents are confirmed on the ground at Bush Intercontinental, with about two dozen Enforcement and Removal Operations officers seen directing traffic and standing beside security lines, even as TSA retains control of ID checks and screening machines.
- PreCheck and CLEAR lanes at Houston were closed, eliminating expedited screening and forcing all passengers, including families with small children and people with disabilities, into the same congested standard lines.
- Conditions in the line included no access to food, ad‑hoc distribution of water by airport staff, and non‑ADA‑compliant routing that required wheelchairs to be diverted to a separate area.
9:37 PM
Top Dems assert there's risk ICE agents could ‘kill’ travelers under Trump airport plan
New information:
- Links ICE deployments at airports explicitly to the ongoing DHS shutdown-induced TSA staffing crisis.
- Documents Democratic warnings that ICE’s conduct in communities foreshadows risks at airport checkpoints.
- Names leading critics (Jeffries and Blumenthal) and captures their framing that the move will 'create chaos at airports throughout the land.'
5:30 PM
ICE agents start assisting TSA at U.S. airports as partial government shutdown continues
New information:
- Confirms that one mitigation measure for the TSA staffing crisis — assigning ICE agents to assist TSA — is now in effect at some airports.
- Links the wave of TSA resignations and call‑outs directly to the lack of pay since mid‑February, reinforcing the causal chain behind the crisis.
- Provides a contemporaneous broadcast report showing DHS is now shifting internal personnel, not just relying on unpaid TSA staff and private contractors.
2:27 PM
Welcome to the spring of travel hell
New information:
- Axios provides a fresh on‑the‑ground snapshot of the impact of the shutdown on security wait times as TSA employees miss a second paycheck and more officers walk off the job.
- It adds a specific expert assessment from aviation security specialist Jeffrey Price that the system is nearing a 'breaking point' and that smaller airports are especially at risk because they lack the staffing flexibility of larger hubs.
- The article highlights Trump’s new directive deploying ICE agents to airport security posts, with him publicly suggesting the National Guard could be next if ICE is insufficient.
12:02 PM
Trump delays strikes on Iran's power plants for 5 days. And, ICE deploys to airports
New information:
- NPR notes that Congress is just returning to session this week with DHS funding still unresolved after the department ran out of money on Feb. 14, and that the Senate Republican majority needs some Democratic support to move a funding bill before recess.
- The piece highlights a specific Democratic demand in negotiations: reforms to immigration‑enforcement agents, including removal of their masks, which has become a notable point of contention with Republicans.
- NPR adds that travel experts are advising passengers to brace for delays and remain patient, and that transportation officials warn the situation at airports could worsen if DHS funding is not restored soon.
10:00 AM
Homan fires back at CNN host over 'how well-thought-out' ICE airport deployment plan is
New information:
- Homan publicly frames ICE’s airport deployment as a way to 'help TSA move those people through the line' by taking over some security functions, rather than directly screening passengers.
- He argues that ICE has long been present at airports and the plan is largely an expansion of current duties, downplaying the need for extensive new planning.
- The White House and DHS, via a statement to Fox News Digital, explicitly cast the ICE deployment as Trump 'taking action' to counter what they call Democrats’ 'pointless, reckless shutdown.'
March 22, 2026
3:34 PM
Unpaid DHS workers ‘distracted’ as terror threats rise, fueling airport security concerns
New information:
- Former Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf publicly warns that unpaid DHS personnel are 'distracted' by missed paychecks during the shutdown and that this poses heightened national‑security risk as terror threats rise.
- Wolf explicitly links the security concern to recent 'four incidents over the past month, likely terrorism in many of those cases, targeting American people,' arguing DHS officers must be fully focused.
- The article reiterates President Trump’s Truth Social statement that 'On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents,' framing the move as a response to both staffing shortages and Democratic opposition in the funding fight.
6:03 AM
Nonprofits, unions and airports rally to feed TSA officers as shutdown drags
New information:
- Nonprofits including World Central Kitchen, Feeding San Diego, and Operation Food Search are coordinating with airports and local TSA offices to provide food boxes and set up pantries for TSA officers working without pay.
- TSA officers face ethics rules that bar them from accepting direct gifts such as cash or gift cards at screening locations, so unions and third‑party nonprofits are serving as intermediaries.
- AFGE Local 554 president Aaron Barker reports TSA officers are receiving eviction notices, car repossessions, and struggling to pay utilities and children's medical bills, and urges donations via local unions or labor councils.
- Operation Food Search is, for the first time, distributing food directly to TSA employees at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, reflecting how extreme the situation has become.
March 21, 2026
9:40 PM
Airport security lines are long. Here's what to know if you're flying
New information:
- Specifies that as of March 20, 2026, wait times at major hubs in Houston and Atlanta reached two hours, with New Orleans advising passengers to arrive at least three hours early.
- Reports that Philadelphia International Airport closed three entire TSA checkpoints in the week of March 17 due to short staffing.
- Provides updated DHS figures that more than 300 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began, along with detailed call-out rates at Houston, Atlanta and New Orleans.
- Quotes Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy saying that if a deal is not cut, current conditions will look like 'child's play' and warning that some smaller airports may be forced to temporarily close.
- Notes that the U.K. Foreign Office is warning travelers about long queues at some U.S. airports and advising them to check with their providers.
- Adds Elon Musk’s high-profile offer to personally pay TSA salaries during the shutdown and the legal constraint that generally bars federal employees from accepting outside compensation.
5:51 PM
Why some US airports are dodging TSA shutdown chaos while others grind to a halt
New information:
- Roughly 20 U.S. airports participate in TSA’s Screening Partnership Program (SPP), allowing TSA‑approved private firms to perform screening under federal standards.
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Kansas City International Airport (MCI) are cited as SPP hubs where screeners have continued to be paid and operations are described as largely "business as usual" despite the shutdown.
- SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel says private screeners have continued to receive pay throughout the shutdown, helping maintain a “stable workforce” while TSA‑staffed airports face shortages.
- TSA‑approved contractors mentioned include VMD Corp. at MCI and BOS Security, which touts lower turnover and potential efficiency gains under privatized screening.
- Aviation expert Daniel Bubb notes that private screeners are trained to the same federal standards as TSA officers but are insulated from shutdown pay disruptions because they are funded through pre‑existing federal contracts.
- Former TSA Administrator John Pistole, writing for AFGE in 2025, is quoted warning that privatization could undermine safety and accountability and arguing that “security is an inherently government function.”
5:28 PM
For airline passengers, the shutdown answer is simple: Pay TSA officers
New information:
- Reports from Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport on March 21 show passengers arriving three to four hours early for flights, with TSA wait times spiking to about 90 minutes before dropping to around 25 minutes later in the morning.
- The article documents that TSA officers at airports like Atlanta have not been paid since the DHS partial shutdown began on Feb. 14, and that staffing shortages have forced intermittent checkpoint closures with highly variable wait times.
- Passengers interviewed at Atlanta’s airport, including retiree Tyrone Williams, increasingly blame Democrats for the stalemate, while President Trump posts that he may move ICE agents into airports to conduct security and arrest undocumented immigrants, particularly from Somalia.
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he will propose a TSA‑only funding bill on Saturday to pay screeners even as the broader DHS impasse continues, though the piece notes that measure is also likely to fail.
4:37 PM
Musk offers to pay TSA salaries, as Trump floats ICE at airports
New information:
- Axios provides Musk’s exact quote from his X post offering to pay TSA personnel salaries during the DHS funding impasse and links directly to the post.
- The article reports that about five hours after Musk’s offer, President Trump posted on Truth Social that, absent a funding deal, he would deploy ICE agents to airports to conduct 'Security like no one has ever seen before.'
- Axios notes practical uncertainties: Musk’s payments could exceed $40 million per week based on TSA headcount, and ICE agents lack TSA screening‑equipment training, raising questions about feasibility and safety.
- The piece reinforces that the shutdown has been ongoing for about a month and is producing worsening delays and staffing risks at airports, with Democrats trying new procedural tactics to end the impasse.
2:52 PM
Air travelers are hacking TSA lines during hours-long major airport waits
New information:
- LaGuardia, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Houston Hobby and other airports are experiencing security wait times of over 2.5 hours, with video showing LaGuardia lines stretching to the parking lot.
- Hartsfield-Jackson officials publicly warned on X that domestic passengers are clogging the International Terminal checkpoint by trying to bypass long domestic lines and urged them to use domestic checkpoints instead.
- Some domestic travelers are using international TSA lines or leveraging TSA PreCheck’s new Touchless ID system as a workaround to long lines.
- TSA union representative Joseph Cerletti in Oakland says it is "very unfortunate" people are trying to "hack the system," calls TSA funding a national security issue, and warns "the longer this goes, the worse the situation is gonna get on a day by day basis."
- The article notes TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, which uses facial comparison technology and deletes data within 24 hours, is slated to be at 65 airports by spring 2026.
2:23 PM
Airport delays worsen as Congress fails to pass DHS funding bill
New information:
- Reports that a DHS funding bill failed to advance in the Senate on Friday, with Democrats declining to provide the votes needed to move it toward final passage.
- Chuck Schumer plans to propose an alternative bill on Saturday to fund only TSA, which is also expected to fail amid the broader DHS impasse.
- Detailed current TSA absence rates: more than half of scheduled staff absent Sunday at a Houston airport; 38% of officers missed work Wednesday and 32% Thursday at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
- Current reported wait times: 120 minutes at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport early Friday afternoon and 80 minutes at Atlanta’s main checkpoint.
- More than 300 TSA employees have left the agency since the start of the DHS shutdown.
- Acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl says TSA workers are sleeping in cars and selling blood to afford gas, while food banks in Pittsburgh and South Florida are supporting unpaid TSA workers.
- Elon Musk posted Saturday that he would like to pay TSA personnel salaries during the funding impasse, offering private funding for a federal security workforce.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune says there is 'deal space' in talks with the White House but questions whether Democrats will back additional ICE funding, as Democrats push for changes to immigration enforcement practices after specific Minnesota shooting incidents.
10:00 AM
DHS shutdown hurts families' access to detention facilities, Democrat says
New information:
- Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas) says she has received numerous constituent complaints that families cannot locate loved ones in immigration detention or secure medical treatment for them during the DHS shutdown.
- Johnson attempted an unannounced visit this week to the Dallas ICE field office where Afghan parolee and former soldier Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal had been detained; she was allowed in but her staff were denied entry.
- Johnson has introduced a bill that would require DHS to maintain communication with congressional offices during any lapse in funding so members can obtain information about people in custody.
- A Texas immigration attorney, Marium Uddin, says shutdown impacts on DHS oversight are "uneven and harder to measure," especially at the individual case level, even if the shutdown looks less visibly disruptive than the prior one.
- Johnson publicly argues that if ICE can keep operating during a shutdown, Congress must retain full oversight access and communication channels.
March 20, 2026
12:38 PM
Over 10% of TSA officers call out nationwide in single day as partial shutdown drags on
New information:
- TSA reports that more than 10% of its officers called out nationwide on Wednesday during the partial shutdown.
- Callout rates reached as high as 38% in Atlanta and Houston, far above the national average.
- Staffing shortages forced some security checkpoints to close in both Houston and Philadelphia airports on that day.
March 19, 2026
2:15 PM
Video captures crazy airport crowds as passengers pour into terminal after security checkpoints close
New information:
- Philadelphia International Airport temporarily closed three of its six main TSA security checkpoints beginning Wednesday "to help optimize operations across other checkpoints" due to TSA staffing constraints from the partial DHS shutdown.
- Video and on‑scene reporting show hundreds of passengers crowding elevators and escalators Thursday morning as they tried to reach the remaining open checkpoints.
- An airport spokesperson said the longest actual wait time was 44 minutes at the D/E checkpoint when it opened at 3 a.m., later falling to about 20 minutes at Terminal B by 9 a.m., which the airport characterized as typical for that time of day.
- Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl warned that 366 TSA officers have already quit during the shutdown and that national unscheduled call‑outs reached 10.19% on Sunday, predicting attrition and call‑out rates will climb as unpaid weeks drag on.
12:04 PM
Over a third of TSA officers call out at 3 major U.S. airports in single day
New information:
- TSA data show that on Tuesday 40.8% of TSA officers called out at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport, nearly 36% called out at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and more than 34% called out at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
- Acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl told CBS News that if call-out rates climb further, "there could be scenarios where we may have to shut down airports."
- Travelers at affected airports are facing long screening lines; in Philadelphia three of six TSA checkpoints were closed Wednesday, and some passengers in Atlanta are arriving up to five hours early for short flights.
- TSA officers missed their first full paycheck last Friday because of the DHS funding lapse, and a union steward in Boise says morale is "getting worse by the day" as workers remain unpaid with no end in sight.
- Sen. Markwayne Mullin, at his DHS secretary confirmation hearing, publicly urged an end to the standoff, saying, "we have to get DHS funded. We have to. My friends, we have to set the partisan side down."
9:00 AM
Gift cards and donations: Homeland Security standoff has TSA workers seeking relief
New information:
- Almost all of the roughly 60,000 TSA employees at more than 430 U.S. airports are working without pay and have just missed their first full paycheck during the current DHS shutdown.
- DOT Secretary Sean Duffy says TSA callouts (sick calls) have doubled during this shutdown, and more than 300 TSA officers have quit so far; an Ohio airport expects about 15 of its roughly 200 TSA employees to leave by the end of the month.
- Airports nationwide, including Denver and Orlando, have set up food drives and gift‑card donation boxes for TSA workers, with passengers providing gas and grocery gift cards to help unpaid staff cover basic expenses.
March 18, 2026
9:18 PM
‘How do you sleep at night?' Moreno slams ‘disgraceful’ shutdown leaving 260,000 workers without pay
New information:
- Sen. Bernie Moreno framed roughly 260,000 DHS employees as the primary victims of the shutdown, emphasizing that none of the senators on the dais has missed a paycheck while DHS families are skipping children’s activities like dance recitals.
- He invoked a recent social-media video from Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) pledging to vote against DHS funding until reforms, accusing Democrats of using the shutdown to create fundraising clips at workers’ expense.
- Moreno used a large poster during the Mullin hearing to argue that the shutdown has "defunded" USCIS, CBP and ICE, and specifically called out that approximately 3,300 USCIS workers processing legal immigration cases are going unpaid.
12:21 PM
Official warns some airports could shut down if TSA sick calls climb
New information:
- Provides concrete national operational metrics tied to the same DHS funding standoff Cornyn was discussing, including a 10%+ national TSA sick‑out rate and nearly 37% sick‑outs in Atlanta.
- Adds senior‑level TSA confirmation that hundreds of officers have already quit, with the remaining 50,000 working without pay and some reduced to sleeping in cars and donating blood to afford gas.
- Introduces the explicit TSA leadership warning that, if staffing deteriorates further, some smaller airports might have to shut down for lack of screening capacity.
12:00 AM
Cornyn blasts 'defund the police' Democrat for holding TSA agents 'hostage' during airport clash
New information:
- Sen. John Cornyn had a heated, on‑camera confrontation with Rep. Greg Casar at Austin‑Bergstrom International Airport while delivering Whataburger to unpaid TSA staff.
- Casar pressed Cornyn to back a carve‑out bill to fund only TSA, which Cornyn publicly rejected as 'not acceptable,' insisting on full DHS funding instead.
- Cornyn accused Casar and Democrats of 'holding' TSA agents 'hostage' for political leverage and tied the DHS shutdown to terrorism concerns, invoking the recent March 1 Austin bar mass shooting.
- Cornyn characterized Casar as a former 'defund the police' leader on the Austin City Council who has 'no respect for law enforcement, including the Transportation Security Agency.'
March 17, 2026
10:35 PM
"We're making people hurt": Democrats adopt new tactic to win DHS shutdown fight
New information:
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has announced Democrats will file a discharge petition to fund TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and other non‑immigration DHS agencies, effectively ending the DHS shutdown while leaving ICE and CBP to run on existing One Big, Beautiful Bill money.
- Jeffries and Rep. Rosa DeLauro pitched the plan in a closed‑door Democratic caucus meeting, with key faction leaders such as New Democrat Coalition chair Brad Schneider, Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar, and Problem Solvers Caucus co‑chair Tom Suozzi saying they plan to sign.
- Democrats openly acknowledge that the month‑long shutdown is 'making people hurt' — including long airport lines — and say the petition is partly aimed at shifting blame to Republicans and exposing their willingness to keep DHS unfunded to protect President Trump’s mass‑deportation agenda.
- The discharge petition would need at least four Republican signatures to force a floor vote, but centrist Republicans currently say they see no need to join because the House has already passed GOP bills funding the entire department.
10:32 PM
Dems unmoved as White House reveals DHS concessions in shutdown battle
New information:
- A White House letter to Sens. Susan Collins and Katie Britt outlines five immigration‑enforcement concessions aimed at ending the DHS funding shutdown.
- Concessions include expanded use of body‑worn cameras for DHS agents (with IG audits and non‑use for undercover work), limits on enforcement actions at sensitive locations like hospitals and schools (subject to national‑security and flight‑risk exceptions), a commitment to adhere to congressional oversight of detention facilities, and a requirement that DHS agents display visible identification.
- The administration also offers to codify a policy not to "knowingly" detain or deport U.S. citizens, except when they are separately subject to arrest under state or federal law, while rejecting Democratic demands for judicial warrants for home entries and a ban on masked agents.
- Senate GOP Leader John Thune calls the White House offer "above and beyond" and highlights up to $100 million for body‑camera spending, while Democrats like Chuck Schumer insist the administration has "not budged" on core warrant and mask provisions.
3:35 PM
TSA official warns smaller airports could shut down amid DHS funding crisis
New information:
- Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl said TSA has fully depleted its National Deployment Office and is 'fully stretched' with 'not much else' it can do to cover staffing gaps during the DHS shutdown.
- Stahl warned that if the shutdown continues and callout rates rise, TSA may 'quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones,' because many officers cannot afford to keep working without pay.
- A TSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the nationwide TSA callout rate has risen to 10.19% during the shutdown, up from about 2% previously, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said around 300 TSA officers have already quit.
- Stahl described severe financial hardship among TSA staff, saying some are sleeping in cars, having blood drawn for cash, and unable to afford care for children with special needs, and he blamed Senate Democrats for holding TSA workers' livelihoods 'hostage' in the DHS funding fight.
- Stahl predicted a lasting morale hit and said TSA attrition rose 25% after the last shutdown, warning that recruitment and retention will worsen even after funding is restored.
March 16, 2026
9:37 PM
Cornyn clashes with progressive Rep Greg Casar in heated airport face-off over DHS shutdown
New information:
- Details of a heated, on-camera confrontation at Austin–Bergstrom airport between Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Greg Casar over Democrats’ refusal to back full-year DHS funding.
- Fox reports that Rep. Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has repeatedly voted against a full-year DHS appropriations bill while backing a standalone TSA funding measure that would leave immigration-enforcement parts of DHS unfunded.
- Cornyn staged a press conference at the Austin airport, brought Whataburger lunches to unpaid TSA workers, and the airport is advising passengers to arrive at least 2.5 hours early because of TSA staffing shortages.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is quoted saying roughly 300 TSA officers have resigned and unscheduled absences have more than doubled since the shutdown began, echoing but slightly reframing earlier stats from other outlets.
- Republicans are publicly labeling the Democrats’ TSA-only funding proposal a nonstarter and insisting that all DHS employees, including CBP and ICE, must be paid together in a full-year bill.
9:16 PM
TSA officers skip work as paychecks stop during shutdown, airports face chaos nationwide
New information:
- Provides a concrete, nationwide TSA officer callout rate of 10.19% on Sunday, described by TSA as the highest national callout rate the agency has seen.
- Details airport‑specific callout rates and wait times: LaGuardia with 25.84% callouts and nearly three‑hour waits; JFK with 28.2% callouts; Newark with 13.83% callouts; Austin–Bergstrom with waits of roughly 60–90 minutes and record passenger volumes around 38,000 outbound travelers in a day.
- Confirms that more than 300 airport security officers have left TSA since the start of the DHS shutdown, a figure attributed to a TSA official.
- Documents visible on‑the‑ground chaos at airports via airport posts and widely shared traveler videos, including Austin’s 4:30 a.m. social‑media warning about record‑breaking crowds and long lines.
- Captures public reaction through a major travel account (The Points Guy) dubbing the situation the 'TSA Hunger Games' and circulating advice on how to navigate the overloaded checkpoints.
9:00 PM
Democratic congressman lashes out at aviation analyst over 'stupid' DHS shutdown comments
New information:
- Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, publicly rejected CNN analyst Mary Schiavo’s claim that Congress is treating TSA funding as a 'political football,' calling it a 'stupid comment.'
- Smith stated that both parties want to fund TSA, the Coast Guard and FEMA but that Democrats 'don’t want to fund ICE,' framing immigration enforcement money as the core dispute.
- He asserted that 'ICE basically murdered two people in Minnesota' and said 'the rights of Americans are being violated across this country,' using those allegations to justify blocking ICE funds.
- Smith said Democrats have had a proposal 'on the table for three or four weeks' to fund all DHS security and disaster-response agencies except ICE.
7:52 PM
TSA pay bill unveiled as shutdown leaves agents unpaid, strains airport security
New information:
- Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., has introduced a House bill to create a Transportation Security Trust Fund to pay TSA workers during shutdowns.
- The proposed fund would be financed by the existing Aviation Passenger Security Fee (the 9/11 passenger security fee), currently $5.60 one-way and up to $11.20 round-trip on U.S.-originating flights.
- Langworthy says more than 300 TSA agents have already left the agency during the current shutdown and calls this the third time in six months TSA has worked without pay.
- House Democrats, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are trying to force a vote on funding all of DHS except immigration-related agencies, a move Republicans are expected to reject.
7:13 PM
TSA worker slams lawmakers after missed paycheck amid DHS shutdown
New information:
- Confirms TSA agents have now officially missed their first full paycheck during the DHS shutdown that began Feb. 14, 2026.
- Quotes Johnny Jones, a TSA officer at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and secretary-treasurer of AFGE Council 100, saying more than 300 TSA employees have already quit during the shutdown.
- Details that TSA officers are considered essential and must continue working without pay, with Jones warning that long lines are inevitable as remaining staff are overwhelmed.
- Reports that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries plans to force a vote on a bill to fund 'parts of DHS that do not include ICE and the Trump mass deportation machine,' explicitly including TSA and FEMA.
- Conveys rank-and-file sentiment that both parties are at fault, with Jones saying TSA officers are 'tired of being used as political pawns' by Democrats and Republicans alike.
6:16 PM
Dem senators call to fund DHS after voting to block it 4 times amid shutdown fight
New information:
- Fox reports that Senate Democrats, including Sen. Elissa Slotkin, have voted four times to block GOP attempts to fund or temporarily reopen DHS, even as they publicly call for DHS to be funded.
- Sen. Mark Warner tells CBS he supports funding DHS and proposes paying TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, CISA and even Customs and Border Protection while leaving ICE funding tied to reform negotiations.
- Sen. Chuck Schumer and Democrats are pushing an alternative approach that would reopen 'most of DHS' while accusing Republicans of using DHS workers as 'hostages,' as Republicans counter that Democrats are trying to shift blame for the shutdown.
3:17 PM
Sean Duffy urges Democrats to 'come to their senses' as TSA squeeze cripples airport operations
New information:
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, in a Sunday TV interview, says TSA wait times have reached three to four hours at some airports as spring break travel begins.
- Duffy states that about 300 TSA agents have quit and that call‑outs have doubled since agents missed their first full paycheck.
- He explicitly blames Democrats for the DHS funding stalemate, accusing them of prioritizing immigration issues over reopening DHS, and singles out Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s prior votes against DHS funding.
- Duffy links the degraded TSA posture to a series of recent terrorism‑related incidents, arguing the shutdown is leaving the country more vulnerable.
2:24 PM
Travelers face long lines at airports after TSA workers miss full paycheck
New information:
- CBS‑obtained TSA data show more than 300 TSA employees have quit since the DHS funding lapse began.
- TSA call‑out (unscheduled absence) rates have more than doubled during the shutdown.
- Friday marked the first missed full paycheck for TSA workers, with many receiving $0 pay, prompting an urgent letter from airline CEOs calling that “simply unacceptable.”
- Specific weekend impacts included near two‑hour security waits at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and long lines at Minneapolis–Saint Paul and Austin–Bergstrom airports, exacerbated by spring break and a storm.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Sen. Mark Warner publicly traded blame over whether to reopen DHS in full or pay non‑ICE components separately, and President Trump posted on social media thanking unpaid TSA agents while blaming Democrats.
March 15, 2026
10:44 PM
CEOs of top airlines demand Congress restore funding to Homeland Security and pay airport workers
New information:
- Open letter signed by CEOs of American, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, UPS, FedEx and Atlas Air was published Sunday online and in The Washington Post explicitly urging Congress to restore DHS funding.
- The CEOs call for passage of three named bills: the Aviation Funding Solvency Act, the Aviation Funding Stability Act, and the Keep America Flying Act, which would guarantee pay for air‑traffic controllers and TSA officers during shutdowns.
- TSA and Homeland Security say more than 300 TSA agents have quit since the start of the current DHS shutdown, and report long security lines at a growing number of U.S. airports.
- U.S. airlines expect 171 million passengers this spring season, and the CEOs cite spring break, the coming 2026 FIFA World Cup, and America’s 250th‑anniversary celebrations as reasons the shutdown’s aviation impact is especially risky now.
- Democrats in Congress are refusing to fund DHS until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this year.
9:48 PM
Airline CEOs call on Congress to fund DHS amid travel nightmares
New information:
- CEOs of United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and other major U.S. carriers sent a joint letter to Congress on Sunday urging an end to the DHS shutdown and calling unpaid TSA work 'simply unacceptable.'
- The CEOs explicitly back 'bipartisan proposals' to ensure federal aviation workers — TSA officers, U.S. Customs clearance officers at airports and air traffic controllers — are paid during shutdowns.
- Air travelers are already facing hours-long lines, with William P. Hobby Airport in Houston reporting wait times of up to three hours last week as airlines brace for a record 171 million spring break passengers.
- The article ties the funding lapse on February 14 to Democrats’ demands for reforms to ICE operations after the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis.
9:00 PM
Schiff, Booker deflect on shutdown blame amid terror concerns, thousands of DHS workers without pay
New information:
- Sen. Adam Schiff told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Democrats have repeatedly offered votes and resolutions to fund TSA, the Coast Guard, FEMA and other DHS agencies separately from ICE, and accused Republicans of voting those efforts down.
- Schiff argued Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House and therefore cannot credibly blame the Democratic minority for the DHS shutdown.
- Sen. Cory Booker told CNN’s “State of the Union” he would not approve “another dollar for ICE” because of what he called its reckless actions, but said Democrats support funding TSA, CISA and the Coast Guard and blamed Republicans for refusing to do so.
- Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also told CNN Republicans are blocking Democratic proposals to fund all of DHS except ICE and Customs and Border Protection, which he framed as the only parts that should remain under negotiation.
- Democrats, including Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, are quoted as saying they are “totally ready” to fund FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard and other DHS elements while isolating the ICE dispute.
3:49 PM
Airline CEOs torch lawmakers for turning air travel into a ‘political football’
New information:
- Top executives from American, United, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Alaska Air Group, Atlas Air Worldwide, UPS and FedEx issued a joint open letter blasting Congress for using air travel as a 'political football' in the DHS shutdown.
- The CEOs say TSA officers have just received $0 paychecks and warn of checkpoint delays of two, three and even four hours as unpaid TSA, Customs officers and controllers struggle to keep up.
- They project a record 171 million passengers this spring and urge passage of the Aviation Funding Solvency Act, the Aviation Funding Stability Act and the Keep America Flying Act to guarantee pay for critical aviation workers during any shutdowns.
- They link the shutdown’s strain on aviation to the ongoing Iran war, noting jet fuel price spikes and rising concerns about domestic sleeper‑cell threats even as air‑travel demand surges.
March 14, 2026
12:52 PM
Dems continue to reject GOP efforts to fund ICE in DHS fight despite terror concerns: 'That's on them'
New information:
- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse explicitly states Democrats are "totally ready" to fund FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard and other DHS components while insisting on an agreement about ICE behavior, accusing Republicans of "holding the rest of DHS hostage."
- Republican Sen. John Cornyn counters that ICE has already been funded through Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and argues Democrats are only hurting the air‑traveling public by keeping TSA unfunded.
- The article lists some of the Democrats’ 10 operational reform demands on ICE funding, including a ban on masks for ICE agents, an end to roaming patrols, tougher warrant requirements and visible identification markings.
- Sen. Ed Markey characterizes ICE as a "corrupt agency" and says Trump has a responsibility to put safeguards in place after two civilians in Minnesota were killed in escalated confrontations with immigration enforcement.
- Sen. Chris Coons tells Fox News Digital Democrats have a "simple menu of fixes" meant to align ICE and CBP standards with state and local law enforcement, and that agreement on those standards is a prerequisite to moving ahead on ICE funding.
March 13, 2026
11:13 PM
Dem senators in the hot seat as Republicans rip their DHS vote amid terror threats: 'Under attack'
New information:
- Sen. Adam Schiff says he offered a unanimous‑consent request to fund FEMA alone during the DHS shutdown, which Republicans rejected.
- Sen. Katie Britt and GOP leadership argue that Democrats’ piecemeal approach (funding FEMA and TSA separately) is political theater that avoids the core ICE policy dispute.
- Sen. John Barrasso frames Democrats’ move as trying to "peel apart" DHS while "our homeland is under attack," explicitly linking the funding fight to Iran war–era sleeper‑cell and terror concerns.
- Article details specific Democratic ICE reform demands at issue: a no‑mask policy, end to roaming patrols, stricter warrant requirements for detentions, and more visible identification for ICE agents.
9:30 PM
Friday’s Mini-Report, 3.13.26
New information:
- The article specifies that roughly 50,000 TSA workers are working without pay during the DHS shutdown.
- Union representatives say screeners have taken second jobs with DoorDash, Uber and Lyft and that some are facing eviction notices and temporarily sleeping in their cars.
6:02 PM
TSA workers miss a full paycheck, while travelers keep paying airport security fees
New information:
- Confirms that as the DHS shutdown nears one month, many TSA officers received no money at all in their latest paycheck, missing their first full paycheck since funding lapsed on February 14.
- Highlights that airline passengers are still being charged the aviation security fee (the September 11 security fee) on every ticket, which normally underwrites part of TSA’s budget, even while TSA workers are unpaid.
- Quotes TSA union official Johnny Jones describing officers as panicking and unable to pay bills, and a veteran Atlanta officer saying some cannot afford gas to get to work and are taking second jobs.
- Details partisan blame: DHS publicly blamed long lines on Democrats on social media, while Democrats argue Republicans are also responsible and have blocked Democratic bills to fund TSA and other DHS components.
- Notes that Democrats are demanding changes to immigration enforcement practices after the fatal shooting of two American citizens in Minneapolis as a condition for approving DHS’s broader budget.
4:15 PM
Airport Security Workers to Miss Paycheck as Shutdown Drags On
New information:
- Specifies that many DHS employees, including TSA officers, are on track to miss a paycheck on Friday, marking a concrete financial milestone in the shutdown.
- Adds that more than 300 TSA officers have left the workforce since the shutdown began, directly tying attrition to the funding lapse.
- Names additional specific airports with significant delays — John F. Kennedy International Airport and William P. Hobby Airport in Houston — and reports unusually high absence rates among TSA workers.
- Details that ICE is largely insulated from the shutdown because of a prior appropriation of 'tens of billions of dollars' to support Trump’s mass detention and deportation agenda, shifting the burden of the shutdown onto other DHS components such as FEMA.
3:17 PM
‘Officers are at their wits’ end’: TSA workers brace for missed paychecks
New information:
- Roughly 50,000 TSA employees nationwide are currently working without pay due to the DHS shutdown.
- DHS reports that unscheduled absences among TSA officers have more than doubled since the shutdown began, and more than 300 TSA workers have left the agency entirely.
- Lines at JFK in New York have stretched to about two hours, and at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport more than 53% of TSA staff called out on at least one day, requiring TSA officers to be flown in from Dallas.
- Union leaders report that some screeners are taking second jobs with gig‑work companies like DoorDash, Uber and Lyft, while others face eviction notices and have slept in their cars.
- Several airports — including Denver, Seattle‑Tacoma, Las Vegas’ Harry Reid and Burlington in Vermont — have set up food pantries or are soliciting donated grocery and gas gift cards for unpaid TSA staff.
- Union officials on record say officers are "at their wits’ end" and accuse Congress of using TSA workers as "pawns" in a shutdown fight unrelated to aviation security.
12:41 PM
Republicans reject proposal to reopen much of DHS, including TSA
New information:
- Senate Republicans proposed a two‑week bill to reopen the entire Department of Homeland Security with no immigration enforcement reforms; the cloture vote failed 51–46, with Sen. John Fetterman as the only Democrat voting with Republicans.
- Sen. Patty Murray offered a Democratic proposal to immediately fund TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, CISA, and other non‑immigration DHS branches separately while negotiations continue over ICE and CBP reforms; Republicans blocked it.
- Sen. Jacky Rosen followed with a narrowly tailored bill to fully fund TSA alone, which Senate Republicans also rejected, publicly characterizing any such measures as unacceptable 'piecemeal' approaches but offering no substantive explanation.
- The shutdown is now in its second month, with airports experiencing continuing security line backups as a direct consequence of the impasse.
12:00 PM
Two shootings intensify DHS standoff as GOP warns of rising terror threats
New information:
- Fox reports that on the same day Senate Democrats again blocked a full‑year DHS funding bill and multiple temporary funding attempts, an active‑shooter incident erupted at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, with the suspect killed in a shootout with police.
- The article notes a separate shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia in which the suspect, previously imprisoned for supporting ISIS, allegedly killed one person and wounded two others.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune tells Fox that 'the consequences, impacts of not funding DHS are real' and calls Democrats' stance a 'dangerous game' where 'people are going to get hurt,' explicitly linking the shutdown to rising threat concerns.
- Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso accuses Democrats of trying to 'peel apart' DHS by funding it piece by piece and being 'so beholden and detached to the far-left component of this nation' that 'they don't care about everybody else.'
- The piece says Democrats spent the day pushing to fund DHS 'one piece at a time' and carve out Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending reforms, while Republicans insist on a full‑agency bill.
- Fox notes that, when asked whether the latest shootings would change his approach, Schumer did not immediately respond to questions about DHS but issued a statement condemning antisemitism and the Michigan synagogue attack.
March 12, 2026
9:10 PM
Airports set up donation drives for unpaid TSA officers during DHS funding crisis
New information:
- Fundraisers and donation drives for unpaid TSA officers have been launched at multiple U.S. airports, including Denver International, Reno-Tahoe International, and Seattle-Tacoma International.
- Denver International Airport is soliciting $10 and $20 grocery-store and gas gift cards (but not Visa gift cards), with specific drop-off locations in the Final Approach cell phone lot and Jeppesen Terminal.
- Reno-Tahoe International Airport has partnered with the nonprofit Children’s Cabinet to provide weekly groceries and other resources directly to affected TSA officers.
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has opened a food pantry for TSA staff and is collecting non-perishable food, hygiene items, and diapers at the SEA Conference Center between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- A TSA official confirms that more than 300 airport security officers have left TSA since the start of the DHS shutdown, and that unscheduled absences (callouts) have risen to an average of 6%.
7:29 PM
Dems vote to keep DHS closed despite airport chaos, Iranian sleeper cell threat
New information:
- Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, are now formally pushing piecemeal DHS appropriations bills to fund TSA, FEMA and other non‑immigration components while carving out ICE and CBP funding until reforms are agreed.
- Sen. Patty Murray confirms her bill would fund DHS without ICE and CBP, saying those enforcement arms were already funded in Trump’s 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' and will not get new money until Democrats secure reforms.
- Republican leaders John Barrasso, Katie Britt and John Thune publicly reject carve‑outs, accuse Democrats of trying to 'rip apart' DHS and 'stand with illegal immigrant criminals,' and say Democrats have repeatedly blocked two‑week DHS continuing‑resolution offers.
- Schumer frames the Democratic approach as avoiding using TSA workers and the flying public as 'hostages' while broader negotiations on ICE reforms continue, underscoring a strategic messaging split over who is responsible for airport chaos.
3:19 PM
Dad of 3 felt forced to quit TSA job amid shutdown: "Family has to come first"
New information:
- Profiles a specific TSA officer, Robert Echeverria, a nine‑year veteran at Salt Lake City International Airport and father of three, who felt forced to quit because he could no longer go without pay during the shutdown.
- Cites TSA statistics, obtained by CBS, that more than 300 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began.
- Details that TSA officers are among the lowest‑paid federal workers, averaging $45,000–$55,000 per year, and are about to miss their first full paycheck of the shutdown.
- Reports that food pantries are opening at airports across the country for unpaid TSA workers, and that Denver International Airport is publicly soliciting $10–$20 grocery and gas gift cards for them.
- Provides concrete examples of the operational strain: sick calls among TSA officers have more than doubled; at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport, more than half of officers called out, producing three‑hour security waits; Philadelphia International Airport had to temporarily close one checkpoint due to staffing.
- Includes on‑the‑record warning from former TSA Administrator John Pistole that reduced staffing could create exploitable security vulnerabilities as 'bad guys' look for weaknesses.
- Notes that the Senate is expected to vote again Thursday on a DHS funding measure, linking the human‑interest story directly to the ongoing appropriations fight.
1:20 PM
Some TSA agents are quitting as the government shutdown over DHS funding drags on
New information:
- CBS reports that some TSA agents are actively quitting during the ongoing DHS funding shutdown rather than continuing to work unpaid.
- The report characterizes the situation as causing a 'massive staffing shortage' at U.S. airports, directly linking the shutdown to on-the-ground staffing gaps.
- The piece frames the attrition as significant enough to pose operational challenges for screening and airport throughput, beyond mere absenteeism.
11:40 AM
Senate to vote again on funding DHS as tempers flare over impasse
New information:
- The Senate will hold another vote Thursday on DHS funding as part of the ongoing shutdown standoff.
- Democrats are explicitly conditioning DHS funding on reforms that would ban immigration agents from entering private property without a judicial warrant, restrict agents from wearing masks, and require visible ID and body cameras.
- Republicans say Democrats refused a recent request to meet with the White House, while Democrats — including Chuck Schumer and Patty Murray — say they are in constant contact with the White House but won’t negotiate unless someone with real authority, not just adviser Stephen Miller, is at the table.
- Senate Democrats attempted unanimous consent to fund TSA, FEMA and the Coast Guard separately, which Republicans blocked; Republicans then tried a temporary extension of full DHS funding that Democrats blocked.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune claims the White House offer 'goes a lot farther' than Democrats realize, describing the situation as a 'one-sided negotiation' with Democrats unwilling to engage.
10:00 AM
Airport security strain during shutdown grows as unpaid TSA officers warn, ‘We’re hurting’
New information:
- TSA confirms that over 300 airport security officers have left the agency since the start of the DHS shutdown.
- TSA officials report callouts (unscheduled absences) have risen to an average of 6% during the shutdown.
- Named TSA officer Deondre White at Reagan National Airport describes working without a paycheck, relying on family for gas money, and says many colleagues lack such support.
- White emphasizes that many TSOs with families are struggling to cover basic expenses and feel "left out" and "not taken seriously" as they work without pay.
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is quoted blaming Democrats for the shutdown, saying it is "completely ridiculous" that Americans are suffering from partisan games.
March 11, 2026
9:42 PM
Airport lines grow longer — and Congress can’t even agree if DHS shutdown talks exist
New information:
- Confirms that after nearly a month of the DHS shutdown, lawmakers are publicly disputing whether real negotiations over funding and ICE reforms are even occurring.
- Details that Sen. Patty Murray tried to move a partial DHS funding bill on the Senate floor (excluding ICE, CBP and the secretary’s office) but was blocked by Sen. Katie Britt.
- Reports FEMA projections that its Disaster Relief Fund would drop from about $5.9 billion at the end of February to $2.1 billion at the end of March and run out before the end of April.
- Provides concrete TSA wait‑time snapshots: roughly 40 minutes at Atlanta’s main terminal, 0–10 minutes at Dallas–Fort Worth, and up to three‑hour waits over the weekend in Houston and New Orleans.
- Adds political context that Kristi Noem’s ouster as DHS secretary and Markwayne Mullin’s nomination have not shifted Democrats’ demands for structural ICE changes, with Schumer calling the agency’s problems ‘deep rot’ beyond one person.