Airport chaos looms as DHS emergency funds dwindle, leaving 50,000 TSA workers unpaid by early May amid a protracted government shutdown.
Secretary Mullin’s Dire Warning
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin appeared on Fox & Friends on April 21, 2026, stating the department’s $10 billion emergency fund will run dry by early May. The fund, established under the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, covers biweekly payroll of $1.6 billion for essential workers including 50,000 TSA employees. As of April 19, only $1.4 billion remained. Workers receive paychecks this week, but no further executive options exist without congressional action. This revelation underscores federal dysfunction affecting everyday travel.
Shutdown Timeline and Past Disruptions
The partial DHS shutdown, now in its seventh week or more, began amid funding disputes over border security. From mid-February to late March, TSA workers endured six weeks without pay, leading to callout rates over 10% for eight days and security lines stretching four hours. President Trump issued a late March executive order directing DHS to tap emergency funds for backpay, providing temporary stability. Early April saw other DHS staff paid, with TSA receiving at least two checks. Yet over 500 resignations occurred since mid-February, eroding staffing amid spring break demands.
Partisan Standoff in Congress
House Republicans rejected a bipartisan Senate deal funding most DHS operations while excluding ICE and Border Patrol. Republicans advocate expanded budgets to bolster security, while Democrats insist on constraints to immigration enforcement. This impasse burdens the executive branch, with Trump setting a June 1 deadline for ICE/CBP funding. Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham plans a resolution for immigration funding, but House conservatives demand changes to any bill. Two-thirds of DHS workforce remains furloughed, heightening risks for Coast Guard and FEMA.
Unions like AFGE, representing TSA workers, sent a letter urging a funding deal by April 24. AFGE President Everett Kelley warned that failure guarantees unpaid Transportation Security Officers unless the administration intervenes further. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted how absences directly caused prior delays. These pressures reveal a government prioritizing partisan fights over essential services, frustrating Americans on both sides who demand reliable operations.
Homeland Security Secretary Warns DHS Running Out of Money to Pay Airport Workers 👀https://t.co/iDFKFZYXaC
— Diana Nunez (@DianaNu84941814) April 22, 2026
Impacts on Workers, Travelers, and National Security
Short-term, early May could see missed flights and chaos at airports, costing airlines and passengers amid peak travel. Long-term, further resignations threaten recruitment and morale in aviation security. TSA workers, already strained, face uncertainty post-next paycheck. Broader effects hit DHS essentials like Coast Guard and FEMA. This crisis echoes 2018-2019 shutdowns with 700-plus resignations, proving prolonged impasses weaken federal operations. Both conservatives weary of overspending and liberals decrying service cuts see elite gridlock failing the public.
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US warns it will run out of money to pay airport security workers in coming weeks
DHS running out of money to pay TSA
DHS Secretary Mullin says agency running out of money
DHS warns TSA pay funds to run out by early May
