WASHINGTON
At airports across the country, the security lines are still moving. The bags are still being screened. But the people doing that work are doing it for free.
A shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security took effect early Saturday, leaving the Transportation Security Administration—the agency responsible for screening millions of passengers—without approved funding.
TSA officers are now expected to report to work without pay while lawmakers remain deadlocked over the agency’s annual budget.
For travelers with upcoming flights, the news carries an uncomfortable echo. Last year’s 43-day government shutdown brought historic flight cancellations and grinding delays to the nation’s airports.
And while TSA officers worked through that record closure—which ended Nov. 12—aviation experts warn that this time could be different.
Trade groups representing the U.S. travel industry and major airlines are already sounding the alarm. The longer the DHS appropriations lapse, they caution, the longer security lines could grow.
A workforce stretched thin by uncertainty is one missed paycheck away from calling in sick—and a system built on vigilance cannot afford to run on empty.
For now, the officers keep scanning, patting down, and waving travelers through. But with no pay and no end in sight, the strain is building behind the checkpoint.
By James Kisoo
