Trump Order Aims to Ease Airport Security Lines Amid Spring Break

The President's directive to pay TSA officers immediately has yet to translate to shorter wait times at major U.S. airports.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 9:18pm

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday instructing the Department of Homeland Security to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, in an effort to alleviate long security lines at airports during the busy spring break travel season. However, the impact of the order remains unclear, as some airports reported little change in wait times over the weekend, while others saw security lines grow exponentially longer.

Why it matters

The staffing crisis at TSA has led to a surge in officer call-outs and resignations, resulting in clogged check-in areas and passengers showing up far too early for their flights at many major airports. The President's order aims to address this issue, but it remains to be seen whether the promise of immediate pay will be enough to bring TSA officers back to work and significantly improve the situation.

The details

Trump's executive order instructed the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA officers immediately, although it's unclear when the impact of that move will start to be felt at airports. Some passengers reported little problem getting through security on Saturday, but others at busy airports said lines were growing longer by the hour. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said TSA personnel could get paid as soon as Monday, but experts warn that a single pay period may not be enough to bring officers back or convince them to stay, and that longer lines could linger for another week or two.

  • On Friday, President Trump signed the executive order to pay TSA officers immediately.
  • On Saturday, some passengers reported little problem with security lines, while others said the lines were growing exponentially longer.
  • Homeland Security Secretary Mullin said TSA personnel could get paid as soon as Monday.

The players

President Donald Trump

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

Markwayne Mullin

The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, who said TSA personnel could get paid as soon as Monday.

Caleb Harmon-Marshall

A former TSA officer who runs a travel newsletter called Gate Access, and who said the staffing crisis won't improve significantly until officers are confident they won't be subjected to more skipped paychecks.

Baltimore-Washington International Airport

An airport that posted on social media that passengers should arrive four hours before their scheduled departure time due to long security lines.

John F. Kennedy International Airport

An airport that posted an advisory on its website urging passengers to allow at least four hours for both domestic and international screenings.

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What’s next

It remains to be seen whether the promise of immediate pay for TSA officers will be enough to bring them back to work and significantly improve the security line situation at airports. Experts say it could take another week or two for the impact of the President's order to be fully realized.

The takeaway

The staffing crisis at the TSA has led to major disruptions at airports during the busy spring break travel season, with long security lines and clogged check-in areas. While the President's executive order aims to address this issue by ensuring immediate pay for TSA officers, it's unclear if that will be enough to quickly resolve the problem and restore normal operations at the nation's airports.