Long Lines Could Return To Airports As Funding Runs Dry
The Department of Homeland Security secretary announced Tuesday that the agency doesn't have enough money to continue to pay employees through May. DHS has been shut down since February. A lapse in paychecks due to the agency's shutdown led Transportation Security Administration officers to skip work, causing major disruptions at airports. Since then, President Donald Trump asked DHS to use funds from his One Big Beautiful Bill to pay TSA officers and other staff. However, this still isn't enough to keep DHS going.
DHS is drawing upon a $10 billion fund created by the bill, and has already consumed more than $8 billion, according to Office of Management and Budget data obtained by CNN. "That money is dried up, if I continue down this path, the first week of May, because my payroll at DHS is just over $1.6 billion every two weeks," said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. After paychecks go out at the end of this week, Mullin says, there's "no more emergency fund."
The lack of funding for DHS has posed serious problems for both agency employees and travelers. TSA agents missed rent or mortgage payments, couldn't pay for childcare, and weren't able to cover basic expenses like food, according to a union official. More than 838 officers have quit since the shutdown began in mid-February. Meanwhile, travelers have been left with hours-long lines at major airports, with wait times some of the longest in TSA's history. Disruptions have also led to service suspensions, like Global Entry and PreCheck, with DHS warning that airports could close outright.
"Failure to pass this bipartisan compromise before Friday, April 24 guarantees that Transportation Security Officers, civilian Coast Guard employees, and FEMA professionals will go unpaid unless the administration steps in, as it did last month," Everett Kelley, AFGE's national president, wrote in a letter to House lawmakers.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 9:47 AM.