Airport bottlenecks ease as TSA workers get paid, but shutdown continues
[March 31, 2026]
By RIO YAMAT, JOSH FUNK and JOHN SEEWER
Frustrating security lines dwindled at U.S. airports Monday, clearing
the worst bottlenecks as Transportation Safety Administration officers
began receiving backpay for working during the government shutdown.
Checkpoint lines that at times stretched to four hours at Houston’s
George Bush Intercontinental Airport shrank to waits of 10 minutes or
less on Monday. In other previous trouble spots such as Atlanta and
Baltimore-Washington International Airport, travelers were moving
smoothly to their flights.
After weeks of airport chaos, there was finally optimism for the
beleaguered aviation system.
Weary travelers hope the overdue paychecks will end the seemingly
endless security lines and missed flights many experienced. It remains
unknown how long federal immigration officers will maintain a visible
presence in airport terminals as the busy spring break travel season
continues.
TSA workers told union leadership Monday that they received some — but
not all — of their back pay, according to Johnny Jones,
secretary-treasurer of the TSA chapter of the American Federation of
Government Employees. He said the rest is expected by next week. Some
employees also reported incorrect backpay amounts, including missing
overtime, the union said.
Jones, who is also a TSA agent at Dallas-Fort Worth International
Airport, said one colleague told him he was already “back to zero” after
covering his car and housing payments and late fees. Workers are
relieved the money has arrived, but with the shutdown still unresolved,
he said, they worry it won’t provide lasting relief.
“None of my colleagues feel like they’ve been made whole," Jones said.
“Their finances are destroyed.”
What about the TSA officers who couldn't work without pay?
The union said the TSA updated its furlough policy on Sunday, removing
guidance that allowed officers to request a furlough if they could not
report to work for reasons tied to the shutdown, such as lack of
transportation or child care.
“Working without pay forced more than 500 officers to leave TSA and
thousands were forced to call out,” acting TSA Assistant Secretary
Lauren Bis said in announcing the delayed payday.
The union agreed with these numbers, but said those who could not afford
to report for duty now “have disciplinary actions looming over their
heads.”
“Backpay alone does not fix those problems,” the union said.
The AP emailed TSA and DHS seeking comment and additional details on the
agency’s furlough guidance.
The DHS shutdown resulted in not only travel delays but also warnings of
airport closures as TSA workers who were only just recovering
financially from last fall's extended government shutdown stopped going
to work. TSA employees had gone without pay since DHS funding lapsed in
February.
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Stained-glass windows cast colorful shadows on the floor as
travelers walk through LaGuardia Airport in New York, Monday, March
30, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Other agencies affected by this latest shutdown include the Secret
Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
What Congress is doing about partial shutdown
President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the Department of Homeland
Security to pay TSA officers immediately to ease the lines plaguing
airports. Trump had rejected bipartisan efforts to fund the TSA
while negotiations over ICE continue with Democrats, who have
refused to approve more funding without restraints on Trump’s
immigration enforcement and mass deportation operations. Trump's
order left other DHS employees unpaid.
Democrats are demanding that ICE agents wear cameras, identify
themselves and operate without masks. They also want judges to
decide whether to issue their warrants, and they want ICE raids to
avoid schools, churches or other sensitive places.
Republicans and the White House have been willing to negotiate on
some points, but a final agreement remains elusive.
On Monday, there were few signs of progress on Capitol Hill.
Senators held a short session without considering the House bill,
then resumed their two-week break.
The union again urged Congress to approve funding for the entire
Department of Homeland Security. “To say we are utterly disgusted
and disappointed with our elected officials is an understatement,”
the union said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump
has offered to host an Easter Dinner for members of Congress who
return to resolve the impasse. On Democrats' demands, she said
“there has not been a change in policy.”
“It has always been the policy of this president and this
administration to deport the worst of the worst illegal alien
criminals,” Leavitt said.
As for the ICE agents Trump deployed to some airports a week ago to
help with security, White House border czar Tom Homan said how long
they stay depends on how quickly TSA employees return to work.
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Associated Press contributors include Mary Clare Jalonick and Will
Weissert in Washington.
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