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President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he’s ordering the Department of Homeland Security to “immediately pay our TSA agents” amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.
The DHS shutdown began more than 40 days ago after lawmakers failed to reach a deal on funding the agency. Since then, TSA agents have been working without pay, which has led to staffing shortages and long security lines in airports nationwide.
“Because the Democrats have recklessly created a true National Crisis, I am using my authorities under the Law to protect our Great Country, as I always will do,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
“Therefore, I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports,” he added.
open image in gallery The ongoing DHS shutdown has led to massive security lines at airports across the U.S. ( Getty )
Trump also thanked the “hardworking TSA Agents” and ICE agents who have been deployed to several airports across the U.S. this week to assist with the long lines.
This comes after the White House turned down an offer from billionaire Elon Musk to pay TSA agents during the funding lapse. A White House spokesperson previously told The Independent his offer poses “great legal challenges due to his involvement with federal government contracts.”
Many TSA agents live paycheck to paycheck, which means they’ve been struggling to pay for rent, groceries and other necessities during the funding lapse, according to Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill.
“Officers are reportedly sleeping in their cars at airports to save gas money, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on second and third jobs to make ends meet, all while expected to perform at the highest level when in uniform to protect the traveling public,” McNeill said Wednesday in a statement to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
“Many have received eviction notices, lost their childcare, missed bill payments and been charged late fees, damaged their credit, defaulted on loans, and have been unable to even qualify for a loan to help ease the financial burden during the shutdown,” she added.
open image in gallery Some TSA agents have resorted to sleeping in their cars or selling their plasma to make ends meet amid the funding lapse, according to a Trump administration official ( REUTERS )
Angela Grana, a TSA agent in Colorado, told CBS News she’s feeling “deflated” and “demoralized” amid the shutdown.
“I’m feeling unimportant and unvalued,” she said on Thursday. “My bills haven't stopped coming. They’re still pounding on my door and my bank account is empty. So, I'm lost. I'm drowning.”
Democratic lawmakers have said they’re demanding reforms to immigration enforcement operations before they’ll agree to fund DHS.
Republicans gave Democrats their “last and final” offer to end the shutdown on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters. Amid the mounting pressure to reach an agreement, a group of more than 10 lawmakers from both parties has been working to negotiate the details, according to the Associated Press.
AcanthisittaNo6653 on March 26th, 2026 at 23:39 UTC »
Trump could have resolved this weeks ago, but he let it fester instead.
Straight-Ad6926 on March 26th, 2026 at 23:11 UTC »
I’m sure the TSA agents who have been living on thoughts and prayers for six weeks will be thrilled to receive an executive order instead of a backdated mortgage payment.
Duane_ on March 26th, 2026 at 23:02 UTC »
For context: Congresswoman Duckworth made a public statement confirming to the press that DHS could have been paying TSA this whole time.
During this, and still ongoing - the Senate has hung up on a vote, that has been fully voted on (100 votes in and counted) to prevent a Senator (who is still live-tweeting) from demanding Unanimous Consent to fund TSA outright.
Edit: The Republican Senator claiming to want/is attempting to force a clean TSA-only funding bill is John Kennedy. Sorry for taking so long to find/post this information. Arthur Delaney is a Huffington Post reporter, who contacted Senator Kennedy directly.
Trump heard both of those things and immediately 'signed an order' (called Markwayne Mullin's cell phone) to pay TSA.
It has nothing to do with Trump or DHS. They got full-nelsoned out of lying to the entire country for fourty one days.