Security delays at several major U.S. airports eased Monday after many Transportation Security Administration officers began receiving back pay following weeks without compensation during the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown. The Associated Press reported that lines at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport fell sharply, while Atlanta and Baltimore-Washington also saw improved wait times. Most TSA workers began receiving back pay covering two full pay periods, though another week remained unpaid and questions persisted about future checks.
Union officials said the payments provided only partial relief. Johnny Jones of the American Federation of Government Employees told the AP, “None of my colleagues feel like they’ve been made whole,” adding, “Their finances are destroyed.”
The shutdown, which began Feb. 14, remains unresolved as lawmakers continue to disagree over immigration-related DHS funding. President Donald Trump ordered TSA officers to receive compensation that would have accrued during the shutdown, but it remained unclear whether regular paychecks would continue.
