OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
10:21 AM – Saturday, March 14, 2026
President Donald Trump has urged Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to keep going to work as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) entered its 29th day, and workers grapple with the loss of their first full paycheck.
Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees’ TSA Council 100 Johnny Jones said that he would remain at his post, though the decision to stay may not be so easy for most officers to make.
He told Fox News that after work at their respective airports, TSA workers need to figure out if they can afford to work a second job to make ends meet, and in that case, if they can afford to get childcare for their children.
“You’re going to need to decide do you have enough money to pay your bills,” he said. “As most people are aware, the TSA officers across the country are not going to receive a paycheck this weekend.”
Jones noted that TSA officers have suffered financial losses from three government shutdowns in the past 5 months.
In the fall of 2025, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history left TSA officers without pay for 43 days. Officers eventually received $10,000 bonus checks from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for continuing to work, however.
In early 2026, officers faced another brief shutdown before the current one that began on February 14th over a funding dispute that stemmed from Democrat lawmakers calling for reforms for the DHS’s immigration enforcement agencies.
“Most people have drained through their emergency funds,” Jones lamented. “The majority of TSA officers live paycheck to paycheck. A lot of them still have loans or debts from the previous shutdown.”
Jones is one of about 61,000 TSA employees who must keep working through the shutdown.
“Thank you to Johnny Jones and all of our GREAT TSA Agents who are going to work but not being paid because the Radical Left Democrats refuse to honor the deal that was approved and voted on in Congress,” President Trump posted on Saturday morning.
In late January, lawmakers agreed to fund most of the federal government through September and pass a short-term continuing resolution to keep the DHS funded for two weeks while negotiations continued over immigration enforcement policies for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). However, the underlying dispute was not solved by the temporary deal. Democrats demanded new restrictions and oversight and would not fund the department without such changes.
“They want your money to go to ‘Border Criminals, Murderers, foreign Drug Dealers, and some of the worst people on earth,’” Trump said, addressing officers. “They don’t want it to go to you.”
He continued, “Keep fighting for the USA. GO TO WORK! I promise that I will never forget you!!!”
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
