TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The partial U.S. government shutdown, which began on February 14, has forced around 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers nationwide to work without pay. The TSA officers are responsible for screening millions of people passing through airports across the United States every day.
More than 450 TSA officers have resigned since the shutdown began, with callout rates on the rise at airports nationwide, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday.
“More than 450 TSA officers have left the workforce, and thousands more are calling out because they can’t afford necessities like gas, childcare, food, or rent,” DHS told PEOPLE in a statement.
The result has been visible in videos circulating on social media, showing frustrated travelers waiting in long lines at some of the busiest airports in the country, where hundreds of TSA employees have either resigned or refused to come to work.
Almost 12 percent of TSA employees scheduled to work on Sunday did not show up, marking the highest rate of callout during the government shutdown, according to the department. The percentage slightly decreased on Tuesday.
The department also confirmed the callout rates at major airports nationwide, with the highest rates being 43 percent at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) in Houston.
Meanwhile, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, which witnessed passengers waiting in security lines for three hours over the weekend, reported a 37 percent callout rate among TSA personnel.
Earlier this month, a TSA worker emphasized how severe the government shutdown and its impact on employees was, including how some of them were sleeping in their cars, in an interview with USA Today.
“Numerous employees have reported to me that their bank accounts are at zero or negative,” said Johnny Jones, a TSA worker based in Dallas and treasurer-secretary of AFGE TSA Council 100, to the media.
"No funds for daycare, no funds for food. They just want to know why the hell they can’t get paid when we have money to shoot missiles into other countries," he said, referring to the U.S.-backed Israel's war against Iran since February 28.
“There is a significant part of the workforce that is working other duties outside of their duties at TSA," he added. "I hope they’re not panhandling at the airport. There are people who are staying at the airport, not leaving, they’re sleeping in their car to conserve gas, consolidating their work life."
ICE Dispute
Hours-long delays have crippled airports, and morale among the agency's employees has plummeted amid the lack of pay, as a result of the partial government shutdown.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has deployed federal agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to airports nationwide to fill the void. The move has sparked criticism given their lack of relevant training and their track record of aggressive methods.
These delays have also occurred at a time when the U.S.-Israel war against Iran has caused additional complications in international travel, ranging from flight cancellations or reroutes to energy price hikes and security concerns.
Overall, analysts warn that the situation has created an image of systemic dysfunction and questioned the security and reliability of the country's air travel system.
“For years we’ve bragged about how the US has the best and safest aviation system in the world,” said William McGee, a researcher and consumer advocate at the American Economic Liberties Project to Al Jazeera.
Political Deadlock
This situation is a result of the political impasse over sustainable funding for DHS, which was sidelined in the last shutdown for separate negotiations surrounding immigration enforcement agencies such as ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
This deadlock comes amidst ongoing demands from activists and Democratic Party lawmakers to rein in immigration agencies, partly triggered by the killings of U.S. citizens like Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents during aggressive actions in Minnesota in January.
However, to pass funding legislation and reopen the government in November, both sides agreed to negotiate funding for DHS at a later date. This deadlock lingers behind the current partial shutdown, which began when funding expired on February 14.
Some legislation proposed by the Democratic Party to fund the TSA while a larger agreement on DHS funding failed to be enacted, and both sides blame each other for the chaos at airports nationwide.
Media reports on Tuesday stated that the U.S. Senate is attempting to advance legislation that would fund most of the DHS, including the TSA, to address the ongoing travel chaos. Meanwhile, a separate agreement focusing on ICE reform is being pursued later.
McGee said the situation has created a widespread sense of dysfunction.
“The US has launched a war against Iran, and because of that, there are heightened security concerns. That TSA is not being paid in that environment is kind of mind-boggling,” he said.
“On top of that, you have flight changes, logistical concerns, and rising energy costs,” he added.
Read: A History of the Longest US Government Shutdowns from 1980-2025
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