For over a month, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees have continued to work without adequate pay as tensions rise at airports across the U.S. This situation began as a result of indecision coming from political leadership after the Senate was supposed to agree on funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection which sits under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alongside TSA.
Since workers have not been getting paid, many have been calling out, starting side hustles, or even quitting. As of March 21, it’s been reported that 400 employees have quit, according to a report by NBC News.
Many people have taken issue with the fact that ICE has remained fully funded amidst the shutdown, while TSA workers have not been. To combat this, the Pay TSA Act was introduced to ensure that TSA workers are still paid during government shutdowns. However, it was rejected by Republicans due to the desire to pull more funding for DHS in its entirety. They are actively still trying to come to a resolution surrounding budget allocation for this sector of DHS.
President Trump announced that he would send ICE agents to major airports in areas such as Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, and Houston to provide aid in support of TSA workers starting Monday, March 23rd. However, ICE agents are not trained in reading x-rays of flyer possessions, so it is unclear what they may contribute to the experience. However, it’s been suggested that they will assist with security clearance for those entering and exiting airports.
Local communities in areas such as Asheville, North Carolina, have taken a stance of support for TSA workers by creating a funding pool for them as they push through being unpaid. Nonprofit organizations and local airports have stepped in to create initiatives that help feed employees amidst being unpaid. This has also included some airports having donation centers, gift card drives, and nonperishable food items being gifted.
According to NPR, due to restrictions that are in place for government employees to receive gifts, employees will have to receive support through TSA unions or local labor councils. However, they cannot accept gifts from patrons at security screening locations.
As of right now, it is unclear when the partial government shutdown will end. However, if circumstances persist, there may be additional deployment of ICE agents at airports across the country and closure of some airports, depending on bandwidth, should more workers continue to quit.