Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees, who are tasked with screening millions of people who pass through U.S. airports every day, have not been paid for more than a month.
The results can be seen in videos circulating on social media showing hundreds of TSA employees quitting or refusing to come to work and disgruntled travelers waiting in long lines at some of the nation’s busiest airports.
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Hours of delays have wreaked havoc at airports, and the partial government shutdown that has affected the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the TSA, has left agency workers with low morale as they go without pay.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has introduced federal military force. agent from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is being dispatched to airports across the country to fill the gap. This step has attracted criticism, given the lack of relevant training and record of aggressive techniques.
The delay also comes as the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran has created additional complications for international travel, including flight cancellations and reroutes, soaring energy prices and security concerns.
Taken together, analysts warn, the situation creates an image of systemic dysfunction and calls into question the safety and reliability of the country’s air travel system.
“For years, we’ve boasted that the United States has the best and safest aviation system in the world,” said William McGee, a researcher and consumer advocate with the American Economic Liberties Project.
“That’s not something we can say anymore.”
an exhausted workforce
More than 450 TSA employees have left the agency since the partial shutdown began on February 14, CNN reported, citing DHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Lauren Biss.
The occupancy rate has also increased from an average of about 2% before the shutdown to about 10% last week. TSA did not respond to requests for updated numbers.
TSA employees’ frustrations are compounded by the fact that many went without pay during the last government shutdown, which included contentious budget negotiations in October and November, the longest on record.
Everett Kelly, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a union that represents workers in many government agencies, including the TSA, says increased burnout is a natural response to workers experiencing occupational and financial instability.
“Across the country, TSA agents are once again being asked to go to work without pay. They have families, mortgages, and bills just like anyone else,” Kelly said in an emailed statement to Al Jazeera.
Deployment statistics also don’t tell the whole story, with some airports functioning normally and others experiencing chaotic delays and rising fares. At major airports in cities such as New York, Atlanta, and Houston, the ratio is nearly 30 percent or higher.
Because the situation at each airport is changing and difficult to predict, McGee likens it to a game of “whack-a-mole,” where delays may be alleviated in one location but recurred in another.
“The bottom line is, if you have to travel now, you need to get to the airport early,” he says.
Social media users are sharing stories of people arriving at the airport with plenty of time to spare, only to miss their flights despite waiting in line for hours.
A spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees operations at major airports such as John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark International Airport, told Al Jazeera that while the Port Authority does not rely on federal funds for its operations, employees of federal agencies such as the TSA still do.
“Over the past few days, we have begun to see longer wait times at security checkpoints during certain periods of time, depending on passenger volume, TSA shift changes and staff breaks, and the number of TSA agents working each shift,” the statement said.
political deadlock
This situation is the result of a political impasse over continued funding for DHS, which was set aside during the previous shutdown for separate negotiations over immigration enforcement agencies such as ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The impasse comes amid continued calls from activists and Democratic lawmakers to rein in immigration authorities, in part due to the high-profile killings of Americans such as Renee Good and Alex Preti by federal agents during a crackdown in Minnesota in January.
Widespread public anger over the Trump administration’s aggressive methods during large-scale deportation raids and what rights groups say are routine violations of civil liberties has led to calls for reining in government agencies and implementing reforms.
However, the two parties agreed to negotiate DHS funding at a later date in order to pass a funding bill to reopen the government in November. The impasse is behind the current partial shutdown, which began after funding expired on February 14.
While a major DHS deal is in place, several bills introduced by Democrats to fund the TSA have failed to pass, with each side blaming the other for chaos at airports across the country.
“Democrats have offered to fully fund TSA’s salaries, no strings attached,” Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said in a recent social media post. “It’s the Republicans who continue to block that.”
“Democrats are holding American travelers hostage and denying federal workers pay due to political influence,” the White House social media account said in a post Friday, sharing a video of long lines at the airport.
Media reports on Tuesday said the U.S. Senate is moving to advance legislation that would fund large parts of DHS, including the TSA, to address the ongoing travel disruptions, as an agreement focused on ICE reform is developed.
McGee says the situation creates a general sense of dysfunction.
“The United States has started a war against Iran, so there are heightened security concerns. It’s kind of mind-boggling that the TSA is not paid in that environment,” he said.
“On top of that, there are flight changes, logistical concerns and rising energy costs,” he added. “It’s a big deal right now.”
