TSA Officers Receive First Paychecks After Weeks Without Pay

Partial payments come after President Trump signs order to use funds for TSA workforce

Mar. 31, 2026 at 4:15pm

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A serene, cinematic painting of a solitary TSA security checkpoint, with a lone officer standing in the foreground as warm sunlight streams in through the windows, casting deep shadows across the empty space. The muted colors and quiet atmosphere convey a sense of melancholy and uncertainty facing TSA officers during the government shutdown.The somber mood of a TSA security checkpoint during the government shutdown reflects the financial strain and uncertainty facing the federal workforce.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 directing the Department of Homeland Security to use funds to pay the agency's workforce. However, some TSA employees reported receiving only partial payments, with deductions and taxes taken out, and not all 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 fallen behind on bills, had to take second jobs, and even faced eviction notices. The payment of at least some of their overdue wages is a relief, but the ongoing uncertainty around future paychecks continues to cause stress and strain for these federal workers.

The details

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees TSA, said 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 deductions and taxes taken out, and not all of their backpay. The White House has not clarified the legal authority behind Trump's Friday order, and it remains unclear if TSA employees will receive any pay going forward.

  • On February 14, the partial government shutdown began.
  • On Friday, March 29, President Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing the Department of Homeland Security to use funds to pay the TSA workforce.
  • On Monday, April 1, TSA officers received their first paychecks in over a month.

The players

Yolanda Keaton

A TSA officer at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Lauren Bis

Acting Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.

Paul Uecker

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

Oksana Kelly

A TSA officer at Orlando International Airport and mother of two.

Deron Kelly

A TSA officer at Orlando International Airport and Oksana Kelly's husband.

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What they’re saying

“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 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

“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

What’s next

It remains unclear if TSA employees will receive any pay going forward, and there have been reports of some not getting paid if they called out. Congress is now on a two-week spring recess and will not return for a vote until April 13, leaving the future funding of the Department of Homeland Security uncertain.

The takeaway

The partial payment of overdue wages for TSA officers provides some relief, but the ongoing uncertainty around future paychecks continues to cause significant hardship and stress for these federal workers who have been required to work without pay for over a month during the government shutdown.