Thousands of federal workers were caught in the middle of a political fight after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ran out of funding early Saturday, February 21. Among them are employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), who are responsible for checking IDs, scanning bags and keeping airports secure across the United States.
According to The New York Times, lawmakers left Washington on February 14 without reaching a deal to fund the department. Now, the disagreement centers on immigration policies and how to handle enforcement measures that were introduced during President Donald Trump’s administration.
A partial government shutdown is in effect for the Department of Homeland Security, where funding ran out at the end of day Friday as lawmakers remain at an impasse over immigration enforcement.
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— ABC News (@ABC) February 16, 2026
Meanwhile, since no agreement has been reached, it has led parts of the government to face a temporary shutdown. For TSA officers, this means they must continue working without pay. However, this is not new, as several TSA workers are still recovering from the 43-day government shutdown in 2025.
While the 2025 shutdown was considered the longest in U.S. history, it also had a damaging effect on the workers. Due to the lack of payment, they were evicted from their homes, could not afford gas to drive to work or even pay for medicine, rent or child care. Now, they are expected to face the same financial stress as before.
However, the shutdown didn’t just have negative effects on the employees, but also led to long security lines and delays, which left travelers frustrated and increased public pressure on Congress to act. According to reports from San Antonio’s First News, airport travelers once again started facing unexpected issues this year.
On the morning of Sunday, February 22, the TSA announced it would suspend its popular PreCheck program. While PreCheck allows low-risk travelers to move through security lines more efficiently without removing shoes, belts or light jackets, the agency initially suspended the program, even for members of Congress.
The decision was made as the shutdown made it difficult to manage staffing and payments. However, later that same day, the TSA reversed its decision in a post on X. The agency assured that it would continue with PreCheck. The TSA said that it would suspend a different service instead of PreCheck.
Courtesy escorts, such as those for Members of Congress, have been suspended to allow officers to focus on the mission of securing America’s skies.
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— TSA (@TSA) February 22, 2026
The agency informed that TSA would suspend its program providing helpers, called “escorts,” who assist Congress members as they travel. So, while the PreCheck reversal is good news for regular travelers, the escort service suspension may not serve as good news for lawmakers, who fail to navigate airports without special assistance.
It seems these steps are being taken as a result of TSA’s lingering anger from the 2025 funding issue. After all, when things went back to normal, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had promised a possible $10,000 bonus for workers who showed “exemplary service” during the shutdown.
However, as many TSA employees never received that money, it may have impacted their decision-making during the 2026 shutdown. Additionally, as the Trump administration has been trying to remove the TSA’s collective bargaining rights, it seems to have had its effect on the workers.
For now, TSA officers remain at their posts, scanning bags and checking IDs as usual. However, things are looking rather worrying for the employees regarding how long this funding crisis might last, especially after last year’s historic shutdown.
