Trump Orders TSA Agents to Be Paid as Congress Still Deadlocked

TSA agents assist travelers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on March 26. — TSA agents assist travelers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on March 26.
Photographer: Mark Felix/Bloomberg

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By Courtney Subramanian, Erik Wasson, and Alicia Diaz

March 27, 2026 at 6:57 PM UTC

Updated on

March 28, 2026 at 3:42 AM UTC

President Donald Trump signed a memo directing Transportation Security Administration personnel to be paid, a bid to alleviate disruptions at US airports as Congress battles over how to end the ongoing partial government shutdown.

The memo, which could lead to paychecks for TSA workers as soon as Monday, eased the sharpest pain point for lawmakers fighting over immigration enforcement. It also effectively killed momentum in Congress toward a funding deal for the Department of Homeland Security.