HOUSTON – Staffing shortages tied to the ongoing federal government shutdown are impacting airport security operations nationwide, including at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, where absentee rates among screeners are among the highest in the country.
According to federal officials, more than 400 Transportation Security Administration officers have quit since the shutdown began, while thousands more have called out of work, citing financial strain.
On March 22 alone, TSA reported a call-out rate of 11.76% — the highest of the shutdown — with more than 3,450 officers absent nationwide.
At Bush Airport in Houston, the call-out rate reached 39.1%, placing it among the most affected major airports. Other high absentee rates were reported at airports in New Orleans (42.3%), Atlanta (41.5%), and Baltimore (38.1%).
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis criticized the shutdown’s impact on the homeland security workforce, saying many officers are struggling to afford basic necessities such as gas, childcare, food and rent.
“This pointless, reckless shutdown of our homeland security workforce has caused more than 400 TSA officers to quit and thousands to call out from work,” Bis said in a statement.
She added that the federal government is taking steps to address staffing gaps by deploying additional personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to assist at impacted airports.
“President Trump is taking action to deploy hundreds of ICE officers, that are currently funded by Congress, to airports being adversely impacted,” Bis said. “This will help bolster TSA efforts to keep our skies safe and minimize air travel disruptions.”
Officials declined to specify which airports would receive additional personnel, citing operational security concerns.
The staffing shortages have raised concerns about longer wait times and potential security vulnerabilities, particularly at major travel hubs like Houston’s Bush Airport, which serves millions of passengers each year.
Despite the shortages, TSA says it continues to prioritize security operations nationwide.
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