Homeland Security secretary promises $10,000 bonuses for select TSA agents who worked during the government shutdown—but there’s a catch

(Credit: Getty Images—Alex Brandon-Pool)

The longest government shutdown in history is over—a period marked by extreme chaos at airports, cancelled flights, and unpaid workers. 

But Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, on Thursday promised that TSA agents who continued to work through the shutdown and were unpaid for more than a month will receive a $10,000 bonus. Some TSA agents had not been showing up for work since they were unpaid due to the government shutdown. TSA agents, along with other federal workers who went unpaid during the government shutdown, are expected to receive their back pay on Nov. 19, according to an internal White House memo obtained by Semafor.