US partial shutdown leaves airport workers unpaid, airports turn to donations

As the United States federal government partial shutdown drags on, disrupting salaries for thousands of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees at the airports, some US airports have turned to asking the public to donate to support workers who have continued to report for duty without pay for the past one month.

On Friday, March 13, the US airport security officers missed their full paychecks as partial shutdown continues to stretch and approached one-month mark. Since the shutdown began, there has been no breakthrough in the congressional standoff that has now started to disrupt travel across the country.

The Democrats have refused to support a Bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security unless it includes guaranteed reforms to immigration enforcement.

As the security officers – those who screen passengers, baggage and cargo – at US airports missed their full paychecks, the airports are now requesting the public to send donations. Some also started their food pantries to support the airport employees.

According to The Guardian, airports in Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas, Reno, Cleveland, Orlando, New York and New Jersey, have all been accepting donations.

The partial shutdown has hit the airport as hundreds of passengers plan their spring travel. As many as 300 TSA employees have already left the agency and unpaid work has started to raise fears of staffing shortages, longer security lines and flight delays amid travel-heavy season. This has started to reflect too at the airports.

Airports in several cities have warned passengers to arrive hours earlier than usual because of long security lines.

Johnny Jones, a Dallas-based official in government workers' union AFGE, told USA TODAY, “Numerous employees have reported to me that their bank accounts are at zero or negative. No funds for daycare, no funds for food. They just want to know why the hell they can't get paid when we have money to shoot missiles into other countries.”

Democrats say they will not support funding immigration enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection without reforms to their operations. Republicans say those demands are unacceptable and accuse Democrats of refusing to negotiate.

The stalemate has hardened in the Senate, where Democrats have repeatedly blocked legislation passed by the Republican-controlled House to fund the department.

Republicans, in turn, rejected a Democratic proposal that would fund other DHS agencies while leaving immigration enforcement unresolved.

What DHS say?

In a statement over long lines at the Texas hub, the DHS said, “Thanks to the Democrats' reckless shutdown, security lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport are stretching OUT THE DOOR.”

It added, “The Democrats' political games are making spring break travel a NIGHTMARE as they continue to withhold funding from DHS and refuse to pay our (TSA) officers.”

Trump reacts

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump took a jibe at the Democrats and said the TSA agents aren't getting paid “because the Radical Left Democrats refuse to honor the deal that was approved and voted on in Congress. They want your money to go to “Border Criminals, Murderers, foreign Drug Dealers, and some of the worst people on earth.”

“They don’t want it to go to you. Keep fighting for the USA. GO TO WORK! I promise that I will never forget you!!!” he said.

(With AFP inputs)