DHS Shutdown Leaves TSA Unpaid, Risks Delays

A partial shutdown of the US Department of Homeland Security has left most Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers working without pay, raising concerns among airlines, travel groups and union leaders about airport delays, workforce attrition and broader economic consequences if the funding impasse continues.

Funding for DHS expired at midnight Saturday after Congress failed to pass legislation to finance the department. While most of the federal government is funded through Sept. 30, DHS had been operating under a short-term measure that lapsed Feb. 13. Lawmakers left Washington without reaching agreement on a full-year appropriations bill, triggering a partial shutdown affecting agencies under the department’s umbrella, including the Transportation Security Administration and the US Coast Guard.

The shutdown centers on a dispute between Democrats and Republicans over immigration policy. Democrats have said they will not support additional DHS funding unless new restrictions are imposed on federal immigration enforcement operations. In exchange for a funding deal, they have sought changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices, including limits on the use of face masks by officers, clearer identification requirements and stricter warrant procedures. Senate Democrats blocked two funding bills that did not incorporate those provisions.

President Donald Trump said Friday, “We will see what happens,” when asked whether he anticipated reaching a deal with Democrats to fund DHS. “We always have to protect our law enforcement,” he added.

Unlike the government-wide shutdown last year that lasted 43 days, the current lapse is limited to DHS. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which oversees air traffic controllers, has already been funded for the remainder of the fiscal year. As a result, air traffic controllers continue to receive pay, reducing the likelihood of widespread flight cancellations linked to controller staffing shortages.

However, TSA personnel, who fall under DHS appropriations, are required to continue working without pay because they are classified as essential employees. Approximately 95% of the TSA workforce is considered essential and must report for duty during the shutdown.

Travel industry organizations warned that the financial strain on security officers could translate into operational disruptions at airports nationwide. In a joint statement issued Feb. 13, US Travel, Airlines for America and the American Hotel & Lodging Association said: “Travelers and the US economy cannot afford to have essential TSA personnel working without pay, which increases the risk of unscheduled absences and missed shifts, and ultimately can lead to longer wait times and missed or delayed flights.”

The groups added that “uncertainty in funding creates lasting damage across the travel ecosystem, especially for airlines, hotels and thousands of small businesses supported by the travel industry. It also slows efforts in recruitment, retention, readiness and modernization.”

According to figures cited by the organizations, last year’s 43-day shutdown generated an estimated US$6 billion economic impact — nearly US$140 million per day — and affected more than 6 million travelers. 

The latest shutdown also comes amid ongoing legal disputes over TSA collective bargaining rights. The Trump administration previously sought to evoke the agency’s bargaining rights, a move initiated last year and later halted by court order. Union attorneys returned to court last month to defend those protections, and a judge again ruled in the union’s favor. Union representatives said the continued uncertainty over labor protections is further straining workforce morale during the funding lapse.

Congress is scheduled to recess until Feb. 23, potentially extending the shutdown until at least the president’s State of the Union address the following day unless lawmakers return earlier to finalize a deal.