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Delta Halts Congressional Airport Perks During DHS Funding Standoff

The step signals airline pressure over unpaid TSA staffing driving airport gridlock.

A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent looks on passengers queue to go through security at New York's LaGuardia airport on March 22, 2026. Immigration agents will be deployed in US airports beginning March 23, aiming to alleviate soaring congestion at security screenings amid a weeks-long budget standoff over President Donald Trump's mass deportation drive, officials said. Trump announced the extraordinary move in a social media post Sunday morning, sending officials racing to quickly develop a plan.
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Overview

  • Delta, which disclosed the change Tuesday, is pausing lawmaker escorts and “red coat” help and will treat members by their SkyMiles status while keeping its Capitol Desk phone line open.
  • TSA staffing has thinned after weeks without pay, with national call‑outs near 11% and spikes above 35% in Atlanta and Houston that produced lines topping four hours and checkpoint closures at some terminals.
  • The funding lapse began in mid‑February over disputes about Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and TSA unions report several hundred resignations and mounting hardship as agents miss paychecks.
  • The White House has sent immigration agents to help manage crowds at more than a dozen airports, while Elon Musk offered to cover TSA salaries and President Trump welcomed it, yet no process exists to accept private pay for federal workers.
  • Airline leaders, including Delta’s CEO, have urged Congress to pay aviation staff during shutdowns, as right‑leaning outlets fault Democrats for blocking DHS bills and left‑leaning coverage highlights Republican resistance to separate TSA funding.