Particle.news
Download on the App Store
43 ARTICLES
·
2d ago

Musk Offers To Pay TSA During DHS Funding Lapse As Trump Threatens ICE Deployment

A five-week DHS funding lapse tied to disputes over ICE practices has left tens of thousands unpaid, prompting legal questions about private attempts to cover salaries.

Travelers have encountered long lines snaking through terminals during the partial government shutdown, prompting airports to warn passengers to show up hours before their flight.
Passengers wait in long TSA lines as a partial government shutdown continues, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., March 20, 2026. REUTERS/Megan Varner/File Photo
A departure board displays multiple canceled and delayed flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on March 16 in Arlington, Virginia.

Overview

  • Elon Musk said he would cover TSA paychecks as screeners enter a second missed-pay period and security lines stretch for hours at major airports.
  • President Donald Trump threatened to send ICE agents to airports for security operations unless Democrats agree to fund DHS.
  • Roughly 50,000 TSA officers are working without pay, with national call-out rates near 10% and local spikes above 30% reported at hubs like Atlanta, Houston and New Orleans.
  • DHS reports at least 366 TSA resignations since the lapse began, and TSA leadership has warned some smaller airports could be forced to shut if absences rise further.
  • Experts say federal law restricts private payments to government employees, raising uncertainty about Musk’s offer, while Senate negotiators report narrowed gaps but no final DHS deal.