Hundreds of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers forced to work without pay have quit, which is expected to cause disruptions for travelers at airports across the United States. This update comes as the partial government shutdown hits the one-month mark.
According to CNN, many TSA workers have decided to take unscheduled time off amid their first weekend without full pay. In an X post on Friday, March 13, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that at least 300 TSA workers have quit, while many others have opted for time off. The sudden mass quitting has sparked massive travel issues, especially with the spring break rush.
Democrats are forcing TSA agents to work without pay for the third time in nearly six months.
The financial hardship this Democrat-led chaos created has already forced more than 300 of these heroic officers to LEAVE the force.
Democrats must fund DHS NOW. pic.twitter.com/KAWZNnZCPd
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 14, 2026
The partial government shutdown began in February after a dispute over DHS funding. Democrats demanded a change in immigration operations across the United States. On the other hand, Republicans opposed the proposal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents wearing body cameras and identifying themselves during operations. This led to a dispute over funding of the DHS, which oversees TSA.
Until lawmakers reach an agreement over the matter, the partial shutdown will continue and affect the travel industry. On Sunday, March 15, the leaders of major airlines like American, Southwest, Delta and JetBlue wrote a letter to Congress urging a prompt agreement on DHS funding. The letter also pressed on the issue of TSA workers not getting their full pay as the shutdown continues.
“It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put food on the table, put gas in the car and pay rent when you are not getting paid,” the letter read.
While the mass quitting by TSA workers is sudden, it is not surprising, experts noted. Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 46,000 TSA workers, said, “Most Americans would quit their jobs if they didn’t get a paycheck on payday.”
Kelley told CNN that the officers who are continuing to work are doing so out of “care and professionalism.”
This is the third government shutdown since Trump took office.
TSA agents are unpaid, some sleeping in their cars, while his war is torching about $1 billion a day.
ICE detention is still draining around $10 million a day to run centers where people are disappearing into a… pic.twitter.com/ZfW6izZyQD
— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline) March 12, 2026
In 2025, there was another shutdown, which lasted at least 43 days. During that time, many uniformed TSA workers and air traffic controllers stopped showing up at work. According to data shared by the agency, about 1,110 officers “separated from TSA in October and November.”
George Borek, a TSA officer, explained why the ongoing shutdown brings more financial difficulties for the workers who are affected. “(The resources) we had in the fall are not available today,” he said.
In 2025, there was more support for them than they are getting now. Some workers told CNN that they have been forced to withdraw from their retirement accounts to pay bills or ask family and friends for money.
Notably, unlike in 2025, air traffic controllers are not affected by the ongoing shutdown.
