March 14, 2026

Millions of spring break travelers are heading to the airport this month, and Johnny Jones was hoping to be one of them. But the ongoing shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security forced his family to cancel its vacation plans.

As millions of spring break travelers flood airports, TSA officers like Johnny Jones at Dallas Fort Worth International are stuck working without pay due to the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which has lasted nearly a month. Many officers, living paycheck to paycheck, are scared and struggling to cover basic expenses amid missed or reduced paychecks, leading to widespread financial strain. This crisis has caused rising sick calls, longer security lines, and some officers taking second jobs just to get by, with many unable to afford gas or other necessities to even show up for work, compounding the chaos at major hubs like Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans.

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