Airports Solicit Food Donations For TSA Agents Working Without Pay

On Mar 13, 2026

Transportation Security Administration officers apparently feel so financially strapped right now that at least two airports are urging travelers to donate food for them.

A partial government shutdown has left TSA employees working without pay for more than three weeks. This Friday will mark the first time since the funding lapse started last month that they miss an entire paycheck.

Denver International Airport blasted out a message to its X followers on Wednesday: “DONATIONS NEEDED!”

The airport encouraged travelers to drop off cards at its cell phone lot, adding: “Support the dedicated TSA employees working without pay by donating $10 and $20 grocery store and gas gift cards.”

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport made a different plea on X, telling its followers it had opened a food pantry for TSA staff and other federal employees who work onsite.

“Please be patient during your trip,” the airport urged.

pic.twitter.com/DZPs5gMuoV

— Denver Int’l Airport (@DENAirport) March 11, 2026

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❗DONATIONS NEEDED❗ Support the dedicated TSA employees working without pay by donating $10 and $20 grocery store and gas gift cards. Visa gift cards cannot be accepted.

Drop off locations can be found at Final Approach cell phone lot and in the Jeppesen Terminal. pic.twitter.com/DZPs5gMuoV

— Denver Int’l Airport (@DENAirport) March 11, 2026

The current shutdown only affects the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the TSA. Democrats have refused to sign off on a funding deal for the agency until the White House and Republicans agree to put some restrictions on President Donald Trump’s widely disliked immigration crackdown. Another Senate vote on DHS funding is scheduled for Thursday, but is expected to fail.

Coming off a recent record-setting shutdown last fall, TSA agents have grown tired of being expected to work without pay for weeks at a time.

Although they eventually receive back pay, many of them say they struggle to make ends meet while they forgo paychecks and wait for lawmakers to reach a deal. Typical TSA salaries start in the $40,000 to $45,000 range, leaving younger employees in particular without much of a cushion.

Several workers told HuffPost earlier this week that they were frustrated at how little attention this shutdown has received, since it impacts a much smaller workforce than last year’s 43-day funding lapse. Back in the fall, many TSA employees received gift cards and other donations and were offered low- or no-interest loans to help them get by.

A TSA agent stands outside a security checkpoint at Denver International Airport on Nov. 8, 2025.

Such offers have been less common this time around, workers said. As one officer at the airport in Boise, Idaho, put it: “It seems like nobody even knows we’re not getting paid this time.” The officer said she and her husband decided to pull their 1-year-old out of day care because they couldn’t afford it right now.

Travelers will certainly become more aware of the shutdown if security lines continue to grow. Callouts by agents have contributed to long lines at major airports like Atlanta and Houston, and union representatives said absences will probably increase next week if the shutdown continues.

TSA is clearly concerned that callouts could lead to major bottlenecks. As HuffPost reported Wednesday, the agency has told employees that managers could require them to provide a doctor’s note to justify even a single day’s absence due to illness.