Circuit of the Americas will deliver care packages to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Friday. In addition, COTA is offering complimentary access to this weekend’s MotoGP event, including free parking, food and drinks.
More than 400 care packages will be distributed by the COTA team at ABIA on Friday morning. Each package includes a gas gift card, toilet paper, soap, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, trash bags, diapers, baby formula and other essentials.
The Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded after congressional Democrats declined to approve funding as they push for immigration enforcement reforms. Earlier in February, a lapse in funding left TSA employees unpaid for weeks. Since then, staffing shortages have worsened as workers call out or leave their jobs.
“I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country,” Musk wrote on X.
While President Donald Trump appeared receptive to the idea, federal law prohibits executive branch employees from accepting salaries or financial contributions from nongovernment sources.
ABIA officials currently recommend arriving at least 2½ to 3 hours before departure. At Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, officials warned wait times could exceed four hours on Thursday.