March 16, 2026
Another Day, More Airport Disruptions As TSA Agents Quit After Going Into Weekend Without A Full Paycheck
In a statement, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Everett Kelley, said the number of agents quitting comes as “no surprise” as “most Americans would quit their jobs if they didn’t get a paycheck on payday.”
After Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents missed their first full paycheck since February’s partial shutdown which features lapsed funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), hundreds quit or called out, causing massive disruptions over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, CNN reports.
On X, DHS announced that more than 300 TSA agents quit, blaming it on “Democrat-caused chaos…Enough is enough,” the post read.
In a statement, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Everett Kelley, said the number of agents quitting comes as “no surprise” as “most Americans would quit their jobs if they didn’t get a paycheck on payday.”
The organization’s president, who represents over 46,000 uniformed TSA workers, said many officers continue to work with “care and professionalism.”
On social media, images of lengthy lines beyond normal waiting hours poured in. In Atlanta at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, one of the busiest in the world, it took travelers 109 minutes just to get to the checkpoint.
“Airports coast to coast are seeing major delays, HOURS-long security lines, and missed flights because of the Democrats’ DHS shutdown,” the agency wrote on X.“SAVE SPRING BREAK. REOPEN DHS NOW.”
Agents being out of work—again—comes months after the federal government came to an agreement to end the 2025 shutdown, labeled as the longest in U.S. history. Under a law established in 2019, federal employees are guaranteed to receive back pay once the shutdown ends; however, union reps say that’s not the case this time.
“(The resources) we had in the fall are not available today,” said George Borek, AFGE union steward and TSA officer at Hartsfield-Jackson.
As a result, airline CEOs signed a letter, urging the government to issue paychecks during the partial shutdown. Some airports, such as Denver International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport, have requested travelers assist TSA agents.
According to The Hill, CEOs from Southwest, United, American, JetBlue, Delta, and even FedEx and UPS, signed the letter,.
“Americans—who live in your districts and home states—are tired of long lines at airports, travel delays, and flight cancellations caused by shutdown after shutdown. Yet, once again, air travel is the political football amid another government shutdown,” the leadership group wrote.
“This problem is solvable, and there are solutions on the table. Now it’s up to you, Congress, to move forward on bipartisan proposals.”
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