When Cameron Cochems clocks in for another shift at Boise Airport, he’s not thinking about what he might find in someone’s carry-on. He’s thinking about whether his landlord will wait another week.
Cochems, a TSA officer and vice president of his local American Federation of Government Employees chapter, is among roughly 50,000 federal screeners who have worked without a paycheck since the Department of Homeland Security funding lapse began on February 13, 2026. “It’s just exhausting,” he told the Associated Press. “Every day it just feels like this weight gets heavier and heavier on us.”
That weight is now crashing down on millions of spring break travelers.
The Numbers Are Getting Ugly
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that at least 376 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began — a significant exodus from an agency that already struggles with high attrition and low morale. Officer call-out rates nationwide have surged to over 10%, with some major hubs hit far harder: Atlanta and Houston both saw around 32–38% of officers absent on peak days, while New Orleans topped 27% and JFK hit 29%.
More than 100,000 DHS employees are slated to miss entire paychecks, and with the second missed payday due March 27, unions warn that the sick-outs could escalate dramatically.
How Bad Are the Lines Really?
Bad — and getting worse. Major airports from Houston to Atlanta reported security-checkpoint waits of up to 3.5 hours on peak days in early March. Houston Hobby warned travelers to arrive “at least three hours before departure.” New Orleans urged passengers to expect delays all week.
The chaos is landing just as the spring break travel boom kicks into gear. Airlines for America projects 171 million passengers will fly over the next two months — a record, up 4% from the same period last year. The U.S. Travel Association, alongside major carriers and hotel chains, issued a joint statement warning that the situation is “placing increasing strain on the frontline workforce responsible for protecting millions of travelers.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy didn’t sugarcoat it either. “If a deal isn’t cut,” he told CNN, “you’re going to see what’s happening today look like child’s play.”
Why Is This Happening
The shutdown is a symptom of a familiar Washington standoff. Democrats are demanding reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement — including warrant requirements, body cameras, and better coordination with local law enforcement — before they’ll approve DHS funding. The Trump administration has resisted those conditions, and the two sides remain far apart despite talks ongoing in the Senate.
ICE and Border Patrol continue operating normally because they were funded through last year’s appropriations. TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard aren’t so lucky. A White House overture on February 27 was quickly rejected by Democrats, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged the talks are stalled.
Meanwhile, nonprofits like World Central Kitchen have stepped in to provide meals for unpaid TSA workers — a scene one observer described as TSA officers checking bags alongside boxes of canned goods meant for them.
What This Means for Spring Break Plans
For families heading to airports in the coming weeks, the advice is blunt: add more buffer time than you think you need. Airlines are now advising domestic passengers to arrive at least three hours early, and longer for international flights or anyone traveling with young children or lots of bags.
Trusted traveler programs like TSA PreCheck and Global Entry can help, though some airports have closed or consolidated PreCheck lanes when short-staffed. Learn more about TSA PreCheck and Global Entry enrollment.
The real danger isn’t just long lines — it’s cascading flight disruptions. Last fall’s 43-day shutdown (October 1 – November 12, 2025) led the FAA to order a 10% flight cut at major airports. With TSA staffing already strained and a record number of passengers pouring through gates, industry groups are warning that similar emergency reductions could be coming.
When Does It End?
There’s no clear answer. Senate Republicans and Democrats held new talks on Friday, but no breakthrough emerged. If the pattern from last fall’s 43-day shutdown holds, this dispute could stretch well into April, deep into the heart of spring break season.
For Cochems and his colleagues, the calculus is brutally simple: work unpaid, or quit. Many are choosing to walk away. And as more screeners leave, the lines get longer for everyone else.
As the U.S. Travel Association and industry coalition put it in their letter to Congress: “Americans—who live in your districts and home states—are tired of long lines at airports, travel delays and flight cancellations caused by shutdown after shutdown. This problem is solvable, and there are solutions on the table.”
Right now, though, those solutions feel very far away.
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