Unpaid TSA Agents So Desperate, Airports Are Asking for Food Donations
Transportation Security Administration officials apparently feel so financially strapped right now that at least two airports are urging travelers to donate food to them.
A partial government shutdown has left TSA employees working without pay for more than three weeks. This Friday will be the first time since the funding gap began last month that they will miss a full paycheck.
Denver International Airport detonated a message to his X followers on Wednesday: “DONATIONS NEEDED!”
The airport encouraged travelers to leave their cards in its cellphone parking lot, adding: “Support the dedicated TSA employees who work without pay by donating $10 and $20 gift cards to groceries and gas.”
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport made a difference appeal on X, telling his followers that he had opened a food pantry for TSA personnel and other federal employees who work there.
“Please be patient during your journey,” the airport urged.
❗DONATIONS NEEDED❗ Support dedicated TSA employees working without pay by donating $10 and $20 grocery and gas gift cards. Visa gift cards are not accepted.
Drop-off locations can be found in the Final Approach cell phone parking lot and the Jeppesen terminal. pic.twitter.com/DZPs5gMuoV
– Denver International Airport (@DENAirport) March 11, 2026
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❗DONATIONS NEEDED❗ Support dedicated TSA employees working without pay by donating $10 and $20 grocery and gas gift cards. Visa gift cards are not accepted.
Drop-off locations can be found in the Final Approach cell phone parking lot and the Jeppesen terminal. pic.twitter.com/DZPs5gMuoV
– Denver International Airport (@DENAirport) March 11, 2026
The current shutdown only affects the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the TSA. Democrats have refused to sign a funding deal for the agency until the White House and Republicans agree to impose some restrictions on President Donald Trump’s much-loathed immigration crackdown. Another Senate vote on DHS funding is scheduled for Thursday, but is expected to fail.
After a recent record shutdown last fall, TSA agents have grown tired of being expected to work without pay for weeks at a time.
Although they eventually receive back pay, many of them say they are struggling to make ends meet as they give up their paychecks and wait for lawmakers to reach a deal. Typical TSA salaries start in the $40,000 to $45,000 range, leaving younger employees in particular without much of a cushion.
Several workers told News themezone earlier this week that they were frustrated about how little attention this closure has received, as it affects a much smaller workforce than last year’s 43-day funding gap. In the fall, many TSA employees received gift cards and other donations and were offered low- or no-interest loans to help them get by.
Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
Such offers have been less common this time, workers said. As an airport official in Boise, Idaho, said, “It seems like no one knows we won’t get paid this time.” The officer said she and her husband decided to take their 1-year-old son out of daycare because they couldn’t afford it at the time.
Travelers will undoubtedly become more aware of the closure if security lines continue to grow. The agent calls have contributed to long lines at major airports such as Atlanta and Houston, and union representatives said absences will likely increase next week if the shutdown continues.
The TSA is clearly concerned that the calls could cause significant bottlenecks. Like News themezone reported On Wednesday, the agency told employees that managers could require them to provide a doctor’s note to justify even a single day of absence due to illness.