Over 400 U.S. Transportation Security Administration Personnel Have Resigned Since the Government Shutdown

MaticHoleFiller · 2026-03-21T23:34:23+00:00

Since the U.S. government partial shutdown began on February 14, more than 400 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel have resigned, and call-out rates among security screeners have risen to 10%. The shutdown has caused delays in airport security screening, intensifying passenger dissatisfaction. Some employees are facing financial hardship due to working without pay.

MaticHoleFiller

2026-03-21 23:34:23

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that since the partial government shutdown began on February 14, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees have been working unpaid, and more than 400 staff members have resigned.

Due to Democrats’ demands for reforms to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), funding has been halted. Earlier this year, federal agents in Minneapolis were accused of abuse of authority, resulting in two American citizens being shot and killed.

Lauren Bis, Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said in response to questions that over the past week, the national absenteeism rate at TSA reached 10% on more than half of the days.

TSA, under the Department of Homeland Security, has about 65,000 employees, including 50,000 frontline security personnel responsible for airport security across the U.S.

The agency stated that nearly half of the security personnel who resigned during the shutdown had more than three years of experience, and one-third had more than five years.

Some TSA employees, working without pay, are worried about being unable to pay bills or even facing worse situations. Anthony Reilly, 58, who is married with three children, has been working unpaid for several weeks. In an interview earlier this month, he said he might face eviction and homelessness.

The government shutdown has led to longer wait times at airport security checkpoints, increasing passenger frustration.

A DHS spokesperson said that the highest national absenteeism rate during the shutdown occurred on Friday, reaching 10.22%.

The spokesperson noted that at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the absenteeism rate on Friday was 29.5%, while at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, it was 36.6%.

According to DHS data, the absenteeism rate at Houston Hobby Airport on Friday was even higher, at 51.5%.

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