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Tim and Jenny Stobaugh of Dallas prepare to go through security at DFW Airport with their children Delia, 6, (preparing to step through the metal detector) and Emery, 8, on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 on their way to Calgary for the holidays. (Star-Telegram\/Joyce Marshall)<\/p>\n
Joyce Marshall<\/p>\n
Star-Telegram\/Joyce Marshall<\/p>\n
An airport security line at Austin-Bergstrom airport extended hundreds of feet out the terminal door on Friday morning. Earlier this week, passengers waited three or four hours at Houston\u2019s Hobby Airport.<\/p>\n
Travelers across the country are seeing similar problems after four weeks of the shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Transportation and Security Administration.<\/p>\n
For TSA officers, including at Dallas-Fort Worth and Dallas Love Field airports, this is the third time since last fall that they\u2019ve had to work without pay.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people in America don\u2019t know what it\u2019s like to work every single day and not receive a paycheck,\u201d said Johnny Jones, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1040<\/a>, which represents TSA agents in North Texas.<\/p>\n Jones said some TSA officers, who are responsible for airport security screening, are still paying paying back loans and late fees from the previous shutdowns. They are struggling financially and may not be able to continue to show up and work for free.<\/p>\n After the last shutdown in January, it took 10 to 30 days for some workers to get their back pay, Jones said. A small number of them did not receive their full pay.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat really hurts is that when people watch news media, and they see we spent $9 billion on bombs, but we can\u2019t even pay us our little paycheck, that is devastating to the workforce,\u201d Jones said Friday.<\/p>\n Shutdown causes airport delays across US<\/p>\n At Austin\u2019s airport, the massive lines started around 5 a.m. but cleared up after a few hours. Airports are especially busy with spring break travel.<\/p>\n But neither DFW nor Love Field have seen problems so far, according to airport spokespeople.<\/p>\n \u201cWe aren\u2019t experiencing significant impacts due to the shutdown,\u201d a Love Field representative said, \u201cbut unanticipated delays may occur. We will have extra airport staff on hand as we head into the busy travel weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n DFW had nearly 200 delays on Friday, though it is unclear how many were related to issues at other airports.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we move into the spring break travel period, we are encouraging customers to plan ahead, arrive early and use the airport\u2019s digital tools to help navigate busy travel days,\u201d a spokesperson for DFW Airport said. \u201cDFW expects elevated passenger volumes throughout the period, and travelers can help ensure a smooth experience by allowing extra time for their journey to the gate and checking real-time updates through the DFW Airport mobile app and website.\u201d<\/p>\n The Homeland Security shutdown began Feb. 14 over debate in Congress about federal immigration enforecement, which falls under DHS.<\/p>\n On Thursday, a vote to end the shutdown failed, and Friday was the first day since the shutdown began that TSA officers were working without a full paycheck.<\/p>\n This is the third government shutdown since September . The first one lasted for four days from Jan 31. to Feb. 3.<\/p>\n Last fall, a shutdown lasted for 43 days making it extremely difficult for federal employees to put food on the table<\/a>.<\/p>\n The union for TSA officers is working with other unions including the North Texas Area Labor Federation and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA on way to help provide food and other necessities.<\/p>\n Thursday\u2019s Senate vote on a funding bill did not meet the threshold to pass. Sen. John Fetterman was the only Democrat to cross the aisle to vote with the Republicans.<\/p>\n ABC News reported that some airports have food pantries<\/a> set up for TSA officers and other federal employees who are having trouble putting food on the table.<\/p>\n Some federal employees feel like the government shutdowns may lead to the privatization of the TSA.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had three government shutdowns, one ongoing, and we are sick and tired of being threatened with the thought of them trying to privatize our jobs,\u201d Jones said. \u201cWe are dedicated civil servants, and I would never recommend privatizing the TSA. In fact, I\u2019ll be the first one on a plane up to D.C. to testify on Capitol Hill and oppose that idea.\u201d<\/p>\n Tevita Uhatafe, president of the North Texas Area Labor Federation,<\/a> said morale is hard to sustain under these circumstances<\/p>\n \u201cOnce you clock out, you do not have anything to show for what you just did at work,\u201d Uhatafe said. \u201cIt\u2019s a financial strain that has been further exacerbated by gas prices, food prices. I feel bad for these people, this is really hard.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published March 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM.<\/p>\n
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