What to know about partial DHS shutdown as TSA officers start getting paid

The Hill
by Sarah Fortinsky
March 30, 2026
8 views
3 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

TSA officers received back pay after a 44-day partial DHS shutdown halted airport security operations.

AI Summary

TSA officers began receiving retroactive pay Monday for weeks worked without compensation during a 44-day partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. House Republicans rejected a bipartisan Senate deal Friday to reopen much of DHS, leaving the agency unfunded as lawmakers departed Washington. The shutdown has disrupted airport security operations and left thousands of federal employees in limbo over back pay. TSA officers are among the most visible federal workers affected, as the agency is essential to domestic air travel. The rejection of the Senate compromise suggests further negotiations will be needed to resolve the funding impasse.

What's Being Done

TSA began distributing retroactive pay to officers Monday; House Republicans rejected a bipartisan Senate deal to reopen DHS.

Source Coverage Map

20 of 43 tracked sources covered this story

47% coverage
Did Not Cover (23)
ICIJ97AP World News96AP Top News96ProPublica95Bellingcat95+18 more

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

Lawmakers set to return to Washington as TSA paycheck uncertainty looms over partial shutdown negotiations
Politics

Lawmakers set to return to Washington as TSA paycheck uncertainty looms over partial shutdown negotiations

Lawmakers are set to return to Washington this week as questions over future pay for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees — including Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers — loom over efforts to end the partial shutdown.  The impasse follows a last-minute split before the Easter recess, when Senate Republicans advanced a measure to fund most of…

The HillApr 12
All DHS workers to be paid by end of week for past 6 weeks of shutdown
Government Transparency

All DHS workers to be paid by end of week for past 6 weeks of shutdown

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said DHS employees affected by the government shutdown will be paid through the recent pay periods by the end of the week.

CBS NewsApr 7
US DHS calls furloughed staff back to work despite shutdown - Reuters
Government Transparency

US DHS calls furloughed staff back to work despite shutdown - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQUlBITktnX1F4TWE5TDg1SENVQ1BYb18yVDd4S0JRb0ZNR2dvRjVWeGZkRnp1U0YxRTJBZzdDTmxzV0YxVTBXWFhIaW5BZzR0SzJoZC12WnNmUDNFVElMSkZIVzlpMUxqZlhmeE9mODF4S21WUjRvV1F4UlVENUc1OTJGMWpMOUxJZDJxQS1rTmJEWU5oblFjdVpreHNiTXNtdDBJeFY0SmNQZHRKdWc?oc=5" target="_blank">US DHS calls furloughed staff back to work despite shutdown</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

ReutersApr 11
All DHS workers to be paid by end of week for past 6 weeks of shutdown - cbsnews.com
Government Transparency

All DHS workers to be paid by end of week for past 6 weeks of shutdown - cbsnews.com

CBS NewsApr 7
TSA Lines Are Shorter. The World Cup and a Lengthy Shutdown Could Change That.
Government Transparency

TSA Lines Are Shorter. The World Cup and a Lengthy Shutdown Could Change That.

Security lines are shorter, but the shutdown continues and pay is unresolved. With the World Cup around the corner, T.S.A. agents are tempering their expectations.

New York TimesApr 10
DHS secretary calls for US states to lead disaster response instead of Fema
Politics

DHS secretary calls for US states to lead disaster response instead of Fema

<p>Markwayne Mullin visits Asheville to survey Hurricane Helene recovery in first big trip since Kristi Noem’s ouster</p><p>Markwayne Mullin, the US homeland security secretary, used a visit to Asheville, North Carolina to call for a fundamental shift in the role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), arguing that states and local governments – not the federal agency – should lead disaster response.</p><p>“We shouldn’t look at Fema as being a first responder, but look at Fema as supporting the first responders you already have,” Mullin told reporters at a roundtable discussion.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/07/dhs-secretary-state-fema-disaster-response">Continue reading...</a>

The Guardian US NewsApr 7
Read Next
Judges fired after blocking deportation of pro-Palestinian students
Government Transparency

Judges fired after blocking deportation of pro-Palestinian students

<p>Immigration judges Roopal Patel and Nina Froes among six judges terminated by Department of Justice</p><p>Two immigration judges who ruled against the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration">Trump administration</a> in the deportation cases of pro-Palestinian university students have been fired by the Department of Justice.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/11/us/politics/immigration-judges-deportations-students.html">New York Times</a> reported over the weekend that the justice department had terminated six judges, including Roopal Patel and Nina Froes, who oversaw deportation proceedings against Rümeysa Öztürk and Mohsen Mahdawi, two students who were arrested last year as part of Trump’s campaign against the Gaza protest movement.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/13/immigration-judges-fired-trump-administration">Continue reading...</a>

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources