More than 400 TSA officers have quit since shutdown began
More than 400 TSA officers have quit since shutdown began
Over 400 Transportation Security Administration employees have left their posts since the partial government shutdown initiated on February 14, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The agency’s workforce has been operating without compensation during this period, as funding was suspended over Democratic demands for reforms at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection following allegations of misconduct and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this year.
The shutdown has also led to a 10% national callout rate at TSA, noted by Lauren Bis, acting assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS. She addressed the issue in response to questions on Saturday. TSA, a division of DHS, employs around 65,000 individuals, with 50,000 serving as frontline officers responsible for airport security across the country.
“Some TSA workers have expressed concerns about unpaid bills and potential financial hardships due to the lack of pay,” Bis explained.
Around half of the resigning officers have more than three years of experience, while a third have over five years, the agency reported. Anthony Riley, a 58-year-old father of three, shared his struggles earlier this month. Having worked without pay for weeks, he warned that he might face eviction and the risk of homelessness.
Delays and frustration have intensified at airports due to the staffing shortage. The highest nationwide callout rate during the shutdown reached 10.22% on Friday, with some airports experiencing significantly higher rates. At John F. Kennedy International Airport, the callout rate was 29.5%, while Houston Intercontinental Airport saw 36.6% on the same day. Houston Hobby Airport recorded an even steeper 51.5% rate, according to DHS.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. Senate, a Democratic proposal to fund only TSA staff but not the rest of DHS fell short of the required 60 votes. The 41-49 vote split along party lines. Earlier in the week, Senate Democrats rejected a Republican effort to fully fund DHS, deepening the crisis.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both from New York, have advocated for changes at ICE. In February, they outlined reforms targeting what they describe as excessive arrests, mask mandates for ICE officers, and racial profiling. The administration has criticized Democrats, labeling the shutdown as the “Democrat DHS shutdown.”
President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, threatened to deploy ICE to airports. Notably, ICE’s funding has not been reduced during the shutdown. The agency was allocated $75 billion in extra funds through the “big, beautiful bill” signed into law last year.
“I went to the airport a couple of hours early just in case,” said Joe Smollen, who was traveling from Newark Liberty International Airport to San Diego. “It’s unfair to citizens to have to endure this, and these workers are doing their job diligently. They shouldn’t be singled out like that.”
Jay Blackman is an NBC News producer covering transportation, space, medical, and consumer topics. Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.
