Passengers wait in lines as they maneuver toward a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint after hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were ordered to deploy to airports to help fill TSA staffing gaps, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer
(Washington, DC) – With airport delays worsening nationwide, President Donald Trump says he is prepared to take direct action to restore pay for TSA workers caught in the middle of a prolonged funding standoff in Congress.
The president signaled Thursday that he intends to authorize an emergency measure allowing Transportation Security Administration officers to be paid, even as lawmakers remain deadlocked over a broader Department of Homeland Security budget agreement.
The dispute—now stretching beyond a month—has left thousands of airport screeners working without pay, triggering growing absenteeism and staffing shortages at major travel hubs across the country.
Passengers are already feeling the impact.
Security lines have ballooned at airports from New York to Texas, with some travelers waiting hours just to reach checkpoints. In some cases, passengers have missed flights entirely as overwhelmed TSA crews struggle to keep up with demand.
Officials say the situation is becoming increasingly unsustainable.
Call-outs among TSA staff have surged, and hundreds of workers have quit altogether during the standoff. Agency leaders have warned that if conditions continue to deteriorate, parts of the nation’s airport system could be forced to scale back operations—or even temporarily shut down.
At the center of the impasse is a broader political fight over immigration policy tied to DHS funding. Democrats are pushing for new limits on federal enforcement operations, while Republicans argue those restrictions would weaken border security.
Negotiations are ongoing, with Senate leaders reviewing what’s being described as a final proposal. Still, no deal has been reached.
With pressure building and travel disruptions mounting, the White House is making clear it is ready to act unilaterally if Congress cannot break the stalemate.
For now, both travelers and frontline airport workers remain stuck in limbo as the crisis unfolds.
