Trump Signs Order to Pay TSA Workers During Shutdown

Executive order aims to address staffing shortages at airports as DHS shutdown continues.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 6:15am

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A dynamic, fragmented painting depicting the chaotic scene of a TSA security checkpoint, with overlapping geometric shapes and figures in motion conveying the disruption caused by the staffing shortages at airports.The executive order aims to address the staffing crisis at airports caused by the ongoing DHS shutdown, which has led to long wait times and the deployment of ICE agents.New Orleans Today

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday directing the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to provide TSA employees with the pay they would have received if not for the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. This comes as almost 500 TSA officers have quit and thousands have called in sick due to lack of pay, leading to worker shortages and long wait times at airports across the country.

Why it matters

The TSA staffing shortage caused by the shutdown has resulted in major disruptions at airports, with some smaller airports potentially facing the threat of closure. The executive order is an attempt to address these issues and ensure airport security is maintained during the ongoing budget impasse.

The details

Trump's order directs DHS and OMB to find ways to retroactively pay TSA workers for the time they have gone without pay during the shutdown, which has now lasted 44 days. This is in response to the nearly 500 TSA officers who have quit and thousands more who have called in sick, leading to ICE agents being deployed to assist with security roles. The worst disruptions have been reported at major airports like Hobby, Bush Intercontinental, Hartsfield-Jackson, Louis Armstrong, and Philadelphia International.

  • The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it longer than the 2025 shutdown.
  • Trump signed the executive order on Friday, April 2, 2026.

The players

President Donald Trump

The President of the United States who signed the executive order to pay TSA workers during the DHS shutdown.

Adam Stahl

The Acting Deputy TSA Administrator who warned that smaller airports in the U.S. could be forced to shut down if more security workers call in sick or quit.

Tom Homan

The White House border czar who claimed that the placement of ICE agents at airports will depend on whether the TSA staffing shortage continues.

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What they’re saying

“Once regular funding for TSA has been restored, every effort should be made, as authorized by law, to adjust applicable funding accounts within DHS to ensure the continuation of DHS operations and activities consistent with planned expenditures prior to the lapse.”

— President Donald Trump

“If less TSA agents come back, that means we'll keep more ICE agents there. The president has been clear. He wants to secure those airports, especially, as I said earlier, in an increased threat posture, we need to secure those airports. ICE is there to help our brothers and sisters in TSA. We'll be there as long as they need us, until they get back to normal operations and feel like those airports are secure.”

— Tom Homan, White House border czar

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This executive order is an attempt to address the staffing crisis at airports caused by the ongoing DHS shutdown, which has led to long wait times, potential airport closures, and the deployment of ICE agents to assist with security roles. However, it remains to be seen whether the order will be effective in quickly restoring normal operations at airports across the country.