TSA Airport Chaos To Reach "Abrupt End": President Trump Signs Order To Pay Officers As DHS Shutdown Drags On

Gia Marcos is a travel writer who specializes in topics related to travel safety, reporting frequently on travel advisories, TSA and transportation security, and how international relations directly impact travelers. Her passion for the U.S. and travel adventure started as a child when she would binge travel documentaries. Since then, she has built a career ensuring travelers have all the necessary information they need to explore the world safely.

Prior to contributing to TheTravel, Gia worked as a freelance writer for various online magazines, with some of her work appearing on MSN and Psyche Magazine. When she is not writing, she can often be found on historical walking tours in different parts of the world.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order mandating the "immediate pay" of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents. This comes as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown continues for over 40 days. The DHS has also confirmed the earliest date for when TSA paychecks will resume.

An aviation expert believes this could lead to an "abrupt end" to the travel delays and disruptions that have swept airports across the U.S. However, before President Trump signed the executive order, TSA union officials warned that it would take a while for staffing levels to return to normal. Hundreds of TSA officers have already quit amid the partial government shutdown.

Here's a closer look at these latest TSA developments and how they are expected to affect U.S. travel soon.

President Trump Signs Executive Order To Pay TSA Agents As DHS Shutdown Drags On

On Friday (March 27), President Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA employees, as the DHS shutdown still shows no signs of ending. The U.S. president promised on Truth Social on Thursday that he would instruct newly sworn-in Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to "immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation."

"America's air travel system has reached its breaking point," President Trump said in the memo authorizing TSA payments, adding that "these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the Nation's security."

The president explained that the TSA employees will be paid using funds "that have a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations." The decision cites the Purpose Statute (31 U.S.C. 1301a), which states that public funds must be applied only to the objects for which the appropriations were made. The memo did not specify the accounts from which the funds to pay TSA workers would be obtained.

DHS: TSA Paychecks To Resume As Early As March 30

A DHS spokesperson confirmed to Time Magazine that TSA employees "should begin seeing paychecks as early as Monday (March 30)." They also announced that the TSA had "immediately begun the process of paying its workforce," per the orders of President Trump and DHS Secretary Mullin.

Unfortunately, the House and the Senate are still in a funding deadlock, just as both chambers leave Washington for a two-week spring break. The DHS shutdown will reach its 44th day on Sunday (March 29), which will then surpass the 43-day federal government shutdown last fall -- the longest in U.S. history.

Expert Sees "Abrupt End" To Airport Chaos Following President Trump's TSA Pay Order

Aviation security and safety expert Sheldon Jacobson, also told Time that airport delays linked to TSA staffing shortages "will come to a somewhat abrupt end" now that President Trump has ordered to pay roughly 61,000 affected officers. Jacobson believes travelers will get a "sense of normalcy" across U.S. airports by Tuesday (March 31) or Wednesday (April 1).

"I suspect people will be showing up for work more consistently now, and these delays will come to a somewhat abrupt end," said Jacobson. "It may take a day or two for people to recalibrate themselves for work, but for the most part, I think, certainly by Tuesday or Wednesday, we should see a certain sense of normalcy around airport checkpoints."

Aaron Barker, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 554, which represents employees in Georgia, didn't share Jacobson's optimism during a news conference on Tuesday (March 24). Barker said long security checkpoint lines won't disappear right away. "Until that paycheck hits that account, you can expect the same," he added.

Nearly 500 TSA Agents Have Already Quit Since The Start Of DHS Shutdown

The TSA has reported that more than 480 officers have quit since the start of the DHS shutdown. During a House Homeland Security committee hearing on Wednesday (March 25), acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill told lawmakers about the "dire" financial struggles faced by unpaid TSA workers.

"Many in our workforce have missed bill payments, received eviction notices, had their cars repossessed and utilities shut off, lost their child care, defaulted on loans, damaged their credit line, and drained their retirement savings," McNeill testified on Wednesday. "Some are sleeping in their cars, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on jobs, second jobs to make ends meet, all while being expected to perform at the highest level when in uniform to protect the traveling public."

At that time, McNeill also warned that by Friday (March 27), the TSA would reach over $1 billion in missed paychecks due to the partial government shutdown. She also warned that the situation could force the closure of small airports, as 40% to 50% of all TSA workers continue to skip work each day.

With no end in sight for the DHS shutdown, Delta Air Lines is temporarily suspending its red carpet treatment for Congress members. Travelers applauded the airline for taking a stance as they continue to face major flight disruptions. This follows a Senate-approved bill that forces members of Congress to endure this TSA "mess of their own making."

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Airport delays continue across the U.S. as of this writing, with other factors like weather threats that have caused a ground stop on United Airlines flights at its major hub in Chicago.