Trump Bypasses Congress to End Airport Chaos
Six-hour security lines paralyzed U.S. airports as 3,120 TSA agents called out sick. President Trump issued an emergency executive order to pay unpaid officers amid Democratic funding standoff.
Six-hour security lines clogged America's busiest airports Wednesday as more than 3,120 TSA agents called out sick — a direct result of Senate Democrats refusing to fund TSA without funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement. President Donald Trump responded Thursday with an emergency executive order directing new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents, bypassing the congressional impasse that has paralyzed U.S. air travel.
The chaos struck hardest at peak travel hubs where callout rates exceeded 40 percent. Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport saw security wait times stretch to approximately four hours, while Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson and New Orleans International experienced gridlock. Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill told lawmakers this fiscal year TSA has been shut down for 85 days — nearly 50 percent of the time — resulting in nearly $1 billion in missed paychecks.
The crisis stems from a funding lapse that began Feb. 14 when Democrats blocked Department of Homeland Security appropriations for the seventh time this year. Each cloture vote failed along party lines, with only Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania breaking ranks to support funding on March 26. Senate Democrats offered a standalone bill to fund TSA on March 25, but attached conditions requiring ICE remain unfunded and submit to judicial warrants, agent identification requirements and restrictions on operations near schools and churches.
Republicans rejected that proposal as a non-starter that injected policy demands unrelated to funding. Senate Majority Leader John Thune called it Democrats "going in circles" and asking for concessions already rejected. Meanwhile, ICE and Customs and Border Protection continue receiving pay through the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" — the 2025 tax bill that allocated $75 billion for immigration enforcement over five years. TSA agents, despite their frontline national security role, remained unpaid.
"Because the Democrats have recklessly created a true National Crisis, I am using my authorities under the Law to protect our Great Country," Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday. "I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports."
Mullin echoed that assessment Thursday. "These hours long lines and thousands of Americans missing their flights was caused solely by the Democrats reckless DHS shutdown," the secretary posted on X. "Stop playing political games with our national security." White House officials confirmed the funding would come from the same "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" that pays ICE, with a senior administration official telling Fox News the move was "not unlike actions taken during the first Democrat-shutdown" to pay military personnel.
Airlines for America applauded the move. "We are grateful to President Trump and Secretary Mullin for implementing a solution to pay tens of thousands of dedicated TSA officers," CEO Chris Sununu said Thursday. "President Trump's Executive Order will help restore order, allowing TSA officers to focus on the task at hand and millions of Americans to take to the skies this spring break."
Democrats criticized Trump's action as illegal overreach. "His national emergency is that he can't cut a deal? He's a bad negotiator," Sen. Chris Murphy said Wednesday. "I don't think that's grounds for a national emergency." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer maintained the party's position Thursday, stating Democrats "held firm in our opposition that Donald Trump's rogue and deadly militia [ICE] should not get more funding without serious reforms."
Yet hours after Trump announced his executive order, the Senate passed by unanimous consent a funding package for most DHS agencies — including TSA — but excluding ICE and Border Patrol. The 11th-hour deal, which moves to the House for consideration, proved Democrats could fund airport security all along but only acted after Trump forced their hand.
The human cost of the impasse remains staggering. Nearly 500 TSA officers have resigned since the shutdown began. Assaults on agents have risen over 500 percent. "Many in our workforce have missed bill payments, received eviction notices, had their cars repossessed and utilities shut off, lost their childcare, defaulted on loans, damaged their credit line, and drained their retirement savings," McNeill testified March 25. "Some are sleeping in their cars, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on second jobs to make ends meet."
TSA officer Angela Grana of Colorado told CBS News she's feeling "deflated and demoralized." "I'm feeling unimportant and unvalued," she said. "My bills haven't stopped coming. They're still pounding on my door and my bank account is empty. So, I'm lost. I'm drowning." Her story represents thousands of frontline workers caught in a political standoff over immigration priorities — one that left airport security paralyzed until presidential intervention restored order.