TSA worker says his family is paying the price for his working without pay
Key Takeaways
- A Syracuse-based TSA officer says four weeks of unpaid work during the partial DHS shutdown has pushed his family to the brink of eviction.
- More than 300 TSA workers have reportedly quit since the shutdown began; unscheduled call-outs have doubled at many major airports.
- DHS funding lapsed on Feb. 13 amid a standoff over immigration enforcement reforms targeting ICE and CBP.
- The shutdown is impacting TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard; ICE and other immigration enforcement operations remain active.
- Travelers face hours-long airport security lines, while essential TSA staff continue working without pay.
A TSA officer on the brink
Anthony Riley, a 58-year-old TSA officer at Syracuse Hancock International Airport, says he has worked four weeks without pay and is now facing eviction. He told NBC News he has already missed one full paycheck, received only a half-paycheck earlier, and has mounting bills he cannot cover. Riley said he lost his car during last year’s shutdown and worries he has no way to get his 39-year-old wife, Keya—who is waiting for a kidney donation—to Rochester if a transplant becomes available. “I might be working homeless,” he said, highlighting the strain on “essential” federal employees required to report to work even when appropriations lapse.
Systemwide strain as DHS funding lapses
A senior TSA official confirmed that more than 300 TSA workers have quit since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown began last month, and unscheduled call-outs have more than doubled at many key airports. The result: weekend security lines stretching up to three hours at major hubs, with missed flights and widespread delays. A DHS spokesperson blamed Congress for the lapse in funding, saying “patriotic TSA officers” are being forced to work without pay, which has created staffing shortages and financial hardship at scale.
Immigration-policy standoff at the center
DHS funding expired on Feb. 13 after lawmakers clashed over the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, much of it enforced by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Democrats, citing the killings of two Americans in Minneapolis by federal agents, are pressing for reforms to rein in those agencies before approving funds, while Republicans and the White House insist changes have already been made. The partial shutdown affects TSA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Coast Guard—but, notably, does not affect ICE or the administration’s other immigration enforcement operations. For immigration stakeholders, that means enforcement continues while airport security and other DHS services strain under the shutdown.
What travelers and immigrants should expect now
For people flying—immigrants, visa holders, and U.S. travelers alike—longer TSA lines and sporadic screening delays are likely until funding is restored. Essential federal employees like TSA officers must keep working without pay under the Antideficiency Act until Congress passes and the president signs appropriations; historically, Congress has authorized back pay after shutdowns, but families like Riley’s cannot wait for relief. While enforcement by ICE and CBP remains active, many USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) operations generally continue because the agency is primarily fee-funded; however, airport disruptions can still upend travel plans for applicants and visitors. Bottom line: arrive early, monitor airport and TSA updates, and plan for delays.
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