TSA Officers Receive First Paychecks After Weeks Without Pay

Partial payments come after President Trump signed order to use funds to pay agency's workforce

Mar. 31, 2026 at 1:15am

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A serene, cinematic painting depicting a lone TSA officer standing in an empty airport security checkpoint, the space bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, capturing the quiet melancholy of the situation.The financial strain of the government shutdown weighs heavily on TSA officers, who have been required to work without pay for over a month.Duluth Today

Transportation Security Administration officers received their first paychecks in more than a month on Monday, after President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Friday asking for the Department of Homeland Security to use funds to pay the agency's workforce. However, some TSA employees reported receiving only partial payments and missing portions of their backpay.

Why it matters

The partial government shutdown has caused significant hardship for TSA officers, who have been required to work without pay for over a month. Many have depleted their savings, fallen behind on bills, and even had to take second jobs to make ends meet. The delayed paychecks have put a major financial strain on these federal workers and their families.

The details

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees TSA, told ABC News that most employees will receive at least two full paychecks for the past two pay periods. However, some TSA officers reported receiving only partial payments, with ample deductions taken out along with taxes. Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said the agency is working to complete processing for the remaining backpay owed to TSA workers as soon as possible. The partial payments came after Trump signed an order on Friday directing DHS to use funds 'that have a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations' to pay the agency's workforce.

  • The partial government shutdown began on February 14, 2026.
  • TSA officers missed over a month's worth of paychecks before receiving partial payments on March 31, 2026.

The players

Department of Homeland Security

The federal agency that oversees the Transportation Security Administration.

President Donald Trump

Signed a presidential memorandum on March 29, 2026 directing DHS to use funds to pay TSA workers.

Lauren Bis

Acting Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.

Yolanda Keaton

A TSA officer at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and union steward for AFGE Local 554.

Paul Uecker

A TSA officer at Duluth International Airport and Vice President of Greater Minnesota American Federation of Government Employees Local 899.

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What they’re saying

“It was a partial pay with ample deductions taken out along with taxes. We did not receive all of our backpay ... A lot of officers paychecks are very very short and not everyone received their pay today.”

— Yolanda Keaton, TSA officer

“I know of at least one officer at MSP (Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport) who quit because they were having eviction processes started against them. They needed to find a way to get some money so that they could hopefully avoid that.”

— Paul Uecker, TSA officer and union vice president

“I feel like they're playing with our lives. We all have children. We all have parents that, you know, people [to] take care of. It's not just some random officers. It's real people.”

— Oksana Kelly, TSA officer

What’s next

It remains unclear if TSA employees will receive full paychecks going forward, as Congress continues to debate funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The House passed a short-term 60-day funding bill, but the Senate has not yet voted on it, leaving the agency's future funding in limbo.

The takeaway

The partial government shutdown has caused significant financial hardship for TSA officers, many of whom have depleted their savings, fallen behind on bills, and even had to take second jobs to make ends meet. While the partial paychecks provide some relief, the uncertainty around future funding for DHS continues to weigh heavily on these federal workers and their families.