TSA Chief Warns Congress of Record Waits, Officer Quits Hitting Florida Airports

TSA officers across the country are owed more than $1 billion in missed paychecks and are experiencing record airport wait times as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown stretches past one month, the agency's acting chief told Congress on Wednesday.

Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security that hundreds of officers have quit since the DHS shutdown began and that those remaining on the job without pay face severe financial distress. "Many in our workforce have missed bill payments, received eviction notices, had their cars repossessed and utilities shut off. Some are sleeping in their cars, selling their blood and plasma and taking on second jobs to make ends meet," McNeill said.

For Treasure Coast travelers using Palm Beach International Airport — the primary commercial hub for Martin and St. Lucie County residents — and Orlando International Airport, the record wait times McNeill described translate directly to longer screening lines and thinned staffing. TSA officers at Florida airports are among the thousands working without pay nationwide. Further attrition could strain checkpoint operations at facilities serving the region ahead of the busy spring travel period.

The shutdown's central dispute is over funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Democrats are demanding reforms to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations, citing the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year. Senate Democrats have rejected Republican proposals to fund DHS operations that exclude ICE detention and deportation reforms. Rep. Sheri Biggs (R-S.C.) pointed to a deadly tarmac collision this week at LaGuardia Airport — in which an airline struck a fire truck, killing two pilots — as evidence of the growing risks. "When you stop paying the people who keep our country safe, you are playing with fire," Biggs said. Officials from the Coast Guard and FEMA also testified Wednesday about hardships stemming from the funding lapse.

No agreement between the two parties was reached at Wednesday's hearing. Republicans also flagged the upcoming FIFA World Cup as a major security event at risk if the standoff continues. No vote or resolution timeline has been publicly confirmed.

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