TSA Says Most Officers Have Received Back Pay as Some Airport Lines Ease

The update follows an executive order signed on March 27 by President Donald Trump.

Travelers line up at an airport in Houston on March 25, 2026.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on March 30 that most of its officers have now received back pay, a move that appears to be easing security lines at airports across the country.

The update follows an executive order signed on March 27 by President Donald Trump, directing the Office of Management and Budget to locate funds to compensate TSA workers during the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

According to acting TSA Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis, the lack of pay had a significant impact on staffing.

“Working without pay forced more than 500 officers to leave TSA, and thousands more were forced to call out,” she said.

Early signs of improvement were visible on the morning of March 30 at major hubs such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, where security lines moved more quickly.

Conditions at other airports nationwide remained uneven. At LaGuardia Airport in New York City, wait times exceeded two hours on the morning of March 30, while Baltimore-Washington International Airport reported minimal delays. When TSA lines will return to normal is to be determined.

Little progress was made in Washington toward resolving the broader funding issue. The Senate held a brief session on March 30 without taking up a House-passed bill before beginning a scheduled two-week recess. Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) said Republicans are continuing discussions with Democrats and House leaders in search of a path forward to fund DHS.

TSA employees had gone without pay since DHS funding lapsed in February.

The prolonged funding lapse has disrupted more than just airport wait times; it has raised concerns about potential airport closures as unpaid TSA workers are increasingly absent from work. In response, the administration deployed agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to assist with airport security operations. According to White House border czar Tom Homan, their presence will depend on how quickly TSA staff return to work.

In a statement, the TSA said it has “immediately begun the process of paying its workforce,” with many employees expected to receive their paychecks as early as March 30.

DHS was partially shut down on Feb. 14 after Democrats and Republicans failed to come to an agreement on funding. While ICE and Customs and Border Protection are funded through 2029 under Trump’s 2025 megabill, other DHS agencies such as TSA and the Coast Guard remain unfunded.

Democrats have demanded 10 reforms to immigration enforcement in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of two protesters, both U.S. citizens, in Minneapolis by federal agents during immigration operations. The demands include agents having body cameras, identification on themselves, being maskless, and not conducting operations at certain locations such as churches. The administration has agreed to agents wearing body cameras.

While the Senate passed a bill on the morning of March 27 to fund all of DHS except for ICE and Border Patrol, House Republicans rejected the bill and, along with a few Democrats, instead passed a stopgap bill on the night of March 27 to fund all of DHS for 60 days while negotiations are ongoing.

The partial DHS shutdown is the longest in U.S. history.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.