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The US House of Representatives has passed a temporary bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, addressing the ongoing shutdown and travel chaos at airports, though the shutdown is expected to continue for several weeks.
President Trump has reiterated his threat to deploy ICE agents to airports starting Monday if Congress fails to fund airport safety and end the government shutdown, which is leaving thousands of transport workers unpaid. Meanwhile, Elon Musk has offered to pay the salaries of US airport security workers, including TSA employees, who are working without pay.
Airport security experienced a significant increase in unscheduled absences, more than doubling during the DHS shutdown, with over 300 TSA employees leaving their posts, leading to operational disruptions at major airports.
A DHS shutdown is jeopardizing security preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with 95% of TSA employees unpaid and increasing callout rates at major U.S. airports, leading to some of the worst TSA wait times, including at Houston’s Bush Airport.
Billionaire Elon Musk has offered to pay the salaries of US airport security workers, including TSA employees, as over 300 have left the agency and unscheduled absences have doubled during a partial government shutdown.
ICE agents have been deployed to U.S. airports to assist TSA with security checks, aiming to manage crowded checkpoints and extended wait times caused by staff shortages due to a partial government shutdown. The deployment highlights the disparity where ICE agents are paid while TSA employees are not.
Amid a partial government shutdown, US airports are asking for donations to support TSA employees who have been working without pay since February.