TSA Workers to Receive Back Pay, But Airport Woes May Linger

Executive order signed to immediately pay TSA officers, but travel experts warn long security lines could continue for weeks.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 4:18am

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Transportation Security Administration officers could receive their first full paychecks in over six weeks as early as Monday after President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing the Homeland Security secretary to pay them immediately. However, travel experts and labor leaders said the long security lines at some U.S. airports would not disappear overnight and could linger into next week or longer as TSA workers wait for their back pay, airports assess their staffing, and Congress remains at odds over funding the Department of Homeland Security.

Why it matters

The partial government shutdown has caused significant disruptions at airports across the country, with some reporting 40% TSA officer callout rates and hours-long wait times for passengers. The executive order to pay TSA workers is a step towards resolving the issue, but the underlying funding dispute in Congress means the airport staffing challenges could persist.

The details

TSA personnel have worked without pay since February 14th when the Department of Homeland Security lapsed due to a dispute in Congress over federal immigration operations. As the shutdown continued, some TSA officers called out of scheduled shifts, causing hourslong wait times and closed express lanes at airports in Houston, Atlanta, New Orleans, New York and elsewhere. Trump signed the executive order after House Republicans rejected a bill that would have funded the TSA, Coast Guard and FEMA but not ICE and Border Patrol.

  • TSA officers have worked without pay since February 14th.
  • On Friday, March 27th, President Trump signed an executive order instructing the Homeland Security secretary to immediately pay TSA officers.
  • TSA officers could receive their first full paychecks as early as Monday, March 30th.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who signed an executive order to immediately pay TSA officers.

Caleb Harmon-Marshall

A former TSA officer who runs a travel newsletter called Gate Access and has spoken with current TSA officers about the impact of the shutdown.

Johnny Jones

The secretary-treasurer of the TSA worker division of the American Federation of Government Employees union.

Ha Nguyen McNeill

The acting administrator of the Transportation Security Administration who told lawmakers that some TSA officers who missed shifts during the shutdown might leave their jobs.

Sheldon Jacobson

An aviation security expert whose research contributed to the design of TSA PreCheck.

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What they’re saying

“Until checks are actually in hands, we might still see some of these staffing issues. But (the executive order) is a bit of good news, I think, for both TSA officers as well as the flying public. And hopefully, the money starts flowing quickly and people can get back to work.”

— Eric Rosen, Director of travel content for The Points Guy

“Hopefully, with this executive order, the relief does come. I think that they just want to know how long, because if it's only for a pay period, that's not enough to bring them back. It has to be an extended pay for them to come back or want to stay there.”

— Caleb Harmon-Marshall, Former TSA officer and travel newsletter publisher

“I guess the action is good for the president, but on the flip side, we have a lot of people that don't have anything, and I don't know if this is gonna fix it.”

— Johnny Jones, Secretary-treasurer of the TSA worker division of the American Federation of Government Employees union

What’s next

Airports that experienced long security lines during the shutdown will need to decide whether to reopen checkpoints or expedited service lanes they had closed or consolidated due to inadequate staffing. Travelers with upcoming flights should plan for the possibility of longer lines for another week or two as the situation stabilizes.

The takeaway

The executive order to immediately pay TSA workers is a positive step, but the underlying funding dispute in Congress means the airport staffing challenges could persist for some time. Travelers should expect continued disruptions at airports as the TSA workforce and airport operations work to recover from the shutdown's impacts.