Thanks to President Donald J. Trump’s decisive leadership, chaos at airports across the nation is beginning to ease as TSA officers receive long-overdue pay amid the Democrat DHS Shutdown. Now in its 45th day, the Democrat DHS Shutdown — driven by Democrats’ refusal to fund programs critical to our national security — has led to weeks of strain on Americans across the country.
President Trump took action where Democrats would not:
- Emergency action to pay TSA officers: President Trump declared a national emergency to pay TSA officers, with their first paychecks in weeks reaching workers as early as today, already reducing absenteeism and improving staffing levels.
- ICE support at airports: To ease the burden on TSA personnel, President Trump deployed ICE officers to major airports, where they’re assisting with crowd control, logistics, entrance and exit security, and identity verification — helping maintain order and keep travelers moving safely.
Media outlets are already reporting measurable improvements:
- CNN: “Abysmal wait times at airports shrank Monday morning as tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration workers started getting back pay after more than a month without income — apparently prompting fewer to call out.”
- Associated Press: “After weeks of chaos in U.S. airports, the Transportation Safety Administration said the first paychecks in weeks are being sent as early as Monday to its workers, giving the beleaguered aviation system a boost of optimism. Wait times at some TSA security bottlenecks, such as the airport checkpoints in Atlanta and Houston, improved significantly Monday morning.”
- NOLA.com: “Early morning travelers reported another round of long lines at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Monday, but, as on Sunday, lines moved faster than the ones that had snarled the airport in previous weeks.”
- WBAL-TV (Baltimore, MD): “After a congested and contentious spring break weekend, with some passengers stuck in queues for four or five hours, security wait times at BWI Marshall Airport have stabilized going into the workweek.”
While President Trump’s actions are providing critical short-term relief, the underlying crisis created by Democrats persists as tens of thousands of other DHS workers continue to go without pay. Democrats in Congress must immediately end their shutdown, pass responsible funding legislation, and stop putting political demands over the safety, security, and livelihoods of the American people.