Trump Urges TSA Employees Amid Shutdown

President Trump has encouraged TSA employees to keep reporting to work as the Department of Homeland Security enters its 29th day of closure. Many workers are facing a tough situation, as they won’t receive their first full paycheck during this period.

Johnny Jones, the treasurer of the TSA Council 100, made it clear that he plans to stay on the job, though he acknowledged that this is a challenging decision for many of his colleagues.

He stated that TSA employees at various airports now have to weigh whether they can take on extra jobs to cover expenses and whether they can afford child care if they do.

“You have to decide if you have enough money to pay your bills,” he explained. “As most of you know, TSA employees across the country will not receive a paycheck this weekend.”

Jones also pointed out that workers have faced financial hardships due to three government shutdowns in the last five months. The longest shutdown in history occurred in the fall of 2025, leaving TSA workers without pay for 43 days. However, they later received a $10,000 bonus for their continued work during that time.

The current closure began on February 14 and is tied up in a funding dispute about immigration enforcement policies, a contentious issue among lawmakers.

“Most people have exhausted their emergency funds,” Jones lamented. “The majority of TSA employees are living paycheck to paycheck. Many of them still have loans and debts from the previous shutdown.”

Jones is one of roughly 61,000 TSA employees who must continue their duties during this shutdown.

“Thank you Johnny Jones and all the great TSA employees for going to work and not getting paid because the Radical Left Democrats refuse to honor the deal approved and voted on by Congress,” Trump said in a message.

In January, lawmakers had agreed to a short-term funding resolution to keep the federal government running through September and sustain DHS for another two weeks as discussions on immigration enforcement continued. Yet, the main disagreement remains unresolved. Democrats are demanding new restrictions and oversight, threatening to cut funding if changes aren’t made.

“They want to take your money and give it to ‘border criminals, murderers, foreign drug traffickers, and the worst people on the planet,'” Trump claimed, adding, “Keep fighting for America. Go to work! I promise I’ll never forget you!!!”