Nearly 500 airport security officers have quit since the start of a partial government shutdown in February as long lines continued to snarl airport traffic around the country, the Homeland Security Department said Thursday.
A pair of TSA officers talk as passengers wait in long TSA lines amid a funding standoff that has forced 50,000 airport security officers to go without pay, causign delays at airports, at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. March 25, 2026. REUTERS/Antranik Tavitian
The dispute that has forced 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers to work without pay since mid-February is leading to major strains and the longest lines in the agency's history -- topping four hours in some locations.
TSA reiterated on Wednesday that the agency could be forced to close smaller airports if staffing issues worsened. More than 11% of TSA officers, or 3,120 officers, did not show up for work Wednesday.
