More than 300 Transportation Security Administration employees have left the agency in the United States since the Department of Homeland Security shutdown began on Feb. 14, according to internal figures obtained by CBS News. The departures have placed fresh pressure on airport screening operations while Kristi Noem's department remains mired in a funding crisis during the spring break rush.
For context, roughly 50,000 TSA employees have been required to keep working without pay during the shutdown, and CBS reported that nationwide unscheduled absences among frontline officers have climbed to an average of 6% from about 2% before funding lapsed.
Noem Inherits a Shutdown Mess
The numbers are no longer abstract. CBS reported 305 employee separations between Feb. 14 and March 9, and officials told the network that more staff could leave once workers miss their first full pay packet on Friday.
That gives the story real weight. A staffing problem is one thing on paper, but a staffing problem at airport security in March can quickly lead to stranded families, missed departures and queues that appear to stop moving. The evidence is already visible.
TSA agents are now working without pay because of the Democrat government shutdown of DHS.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 27, 2026
TSA is an essential service so workers have to show up even during a shutdown.
Many workers are now considering quitting because Democrat politicians hate them.pic.twitter.com/01T2xM9ksg
Former TSA Administrator John Pistole told CBS the situation was 'a huge morale hit for TSA,' warning that adversaries could try to exploit what he called 'a perceived vulnerability' if fewer officers continue showing up for work. He also said repeated shutdowns can damage recruitment because applicants may think twice about taking a job that might require them to work unpaid.
.@Sec_Noem on Democrats' reckless DHS shutdown:
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 4, 2026
"We've got even law enforcement officers, security officers, TSA is not funded. Those individuals are showing up every day and working without any pay to keep our national security at the front and center." pic.twitter.com/Mggou5wz0a
The political blame game is already in full swing. A DHS spokesperson told CBS that TSA employees were being forced to work without pay 'for the THIRD time in nearly six months,' adding that 'the longer this shutdown drags on, the more financial hardship our patriotic officers and their families face, leading to more staffing issues and longer wait times for travelers.'
NEW: More than 300 TSA agents have left the workforce altogether since the shutdown began, @CBSNews reports.
— Kyle Potter (@kpottermn) March 11, 2026
Plus “sickouts” have accelerated at a few airports - including roughly 50% of agents at Houston-Hobby (HOU) over a two-day stretch.
Explains a lot of what we’ve seen. pic.twitter.com/iHmva798sY
That same spokesperson directly blamed Democrats and urged them to 're open DHS.' Democrats, for their part, presented a different story. CBS reported that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said his party had tried to pass funding for TSA and other DHS agencies separately from the more disputed immigration enforcement budget, but Republicans blocked the effort.
The Airport Delays
At airport level, the figures have started to look alarming. CBS said 53% of officers at Houston's Hobby Airport called out on March 8, followed by 47% the next day, while Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport has averaged a 14% absence rate during the shutdown.
CBS News: TSA absences double during shutdown, 300 officers quit, as some airports see longer security lineshttps://t.co/YuNx8CSHGY
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) March 10, 2026
Passengers have felt the difference in real time. KHOU reported that some travellers at Hobby waited at least four hours on Sunday evening to clear security, with lines stretching into lower passenger areas and some people missing flights.
There is a small but important discrepancy in the public numbers. CBS said Hobby wait times stretched to more than three hours on March 8, Reuters reported that average waits reached 3.5 hours at one point, and KHOU said some passengers faced at least four hours on Sunday evening, which suggests conditions shifted sharply through the day rather than landing on a single figure.
New Orleans was dealing with its own version of the same problem. The airport told passengers on X to arrive at least three hours before departure, and Reuters reported that officials warned delays could persist through the week because TSA was short of staff at security checkpoints.
The ongoing partial government shutdown could impact spring break travelers — as frontline DHS employees, like TSA, go without pay for a second prolonged shutdown since October.
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) March 9, 2026
Travelers at airports in Houston and New Orleans reported hours-long security lines.
Much of the… pic.twitter.com/GK09J6QBZg
Behind those lines is a practical problem that does not disappear quickly. CBS said it can take four to six months of training before new TSA hires can work independently at checkpoints, which means each resignation lands harder than the headline number might suggest.
Noem's name hangs over all of this as President Donald Trump announced she would leave her role later this month, with Senator Markwayne Mullin set to become DHS secretary effective March 31. The department remains in limbo, the shutdown is still unresolved, and the transport security workforce edges towards another missed pay cheque.
For travellers, the politics will feel distant compared with the queue ahead. For TSA officers, Friday looks more immediate than any press release. CBS reported that DHS officials believe the first full missed pay cheque could mark the point when staffing strain worsens rather than improves.
