Transportation Security Administration officers received only a portion of their paychecks on Friday as the partial U.S. government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security dragged into its second week.

The reduced payments stem from a funding lapse that began at 12:01 a.m. on February 14, 2026, when Congress failed to extend appropriations for DHS beyond February 13. Most DHS employees, including about 61,000 TSA screeners working at over 430 airports, received pay only for the pay period ending before the lapse, roughly the second week of February. Civilian Coast Guard workers are expected to receive about half their paychecks around March 2.

Federal law passed in 2019 guarantees back pay once funding is restored, but the immediate financial strain has workers worried about upcoming bills like rent and daycare. "You’re going to see TSA officers in food bank lines in a couple of days," said Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100. Ha Nguyen McNeill, senior TSA official, noted that during past shutdowns, officers resorted to sleeping in cars, selling plasma, and taking second jobs.

The shutdown affects only DHS components, including TSA, FEMA, U.S. Coast Guard, Secret Service, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, sparing the rest of the federal government funded through full-year or continuing appropriations. House Republicans have passed full-year DHS funding bills, but Senate Democrats have blocked them amid demands for immigration enforcement reforms following a January incident in Minneapolis where federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens. A House Appropriations Committee statement blamed Senate Democrats for pushing the shutdown into double digits by altering a bipartisan deal.

TSA has warned of potential staffing shortages and airport delays, with officers at risk of calling in sick for second jobs or resigning. Recent attrition spiked, with over 1,100 officers leaving in late 2025. The agency briefly considered suspending TSA PreCheck but reversed after outcry, though Global Entry remains paused.

DHS announced emergency measures last week to conserve resources, such as halting some Global Entry processing. Negotiations show little progress, with no vote expected soon to end the lapse. Union leaders like Philip Glover of AFGE warned that repeated shutdowns are discouraging workers faster than before.