TSA Agents Visit Food Pantries at Airports Five Weeks Into Government Shutdown

TSA agents working without pay during five-week DHS shutdown are visiting food pantries at airports as 366 officers quit and security lines hit 3 hours.

TSA Agents Visit Food Pantries at Airports Five Weeks Into Government Shutdown TSA agents working without pay during five-week DHS shutdown are visiting food pantries at airports as 366 officers quit and security lines hit 3 hours. Aaron Rafferty March 22, 2026 Key Takeaways: More than 50,000 TSA officers are working without pay during a five-week DHS funding lapse, with some receiving paychecks as low as $4. At least 366 TSA agents have quit and airports nationwide have opened food pantries inside terminals to feed the officers screening passengers. Security lines at major airports including Atlanta, Denver, and Washington, D.C. have stretched past two to three hours as unscheduled callouts spike. The Department of Homeland Security partial funding lapse that began around February 14 is now in its fifth week, and the people responsible for airport security across the United States cannot afford to eat. TSA officers are classified as essential, which means they must continue screening passengers. They are not getting paid to do it. The first missed full paycheck hit March 13. Multiple officers reported receiving $0 or single-digit amounts for the pay period ending mid-March. TSA officer Sharre Quick told Business Insider her most recent paycheck was $4. She previously visited employer-organized food pantries during the last shutdown. "I never imagined that protecting the country would one day mean standing in line for food," she said. At least 366 officers have quit. Hundreds more are calling out daily. The result is security lines stretching two to three hours at major hubs. Salt Lake City International reopened a TSA-specific food pantry on March 13. Seattle-Tacoma's Food Lifeline delivered 10,000 pounds of food to 470 families. Baltimore, Houston, Pittsburgh, St.