President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees continue receiving pay during the ongoing partial government shutdown, citing a national emergency and the need to sustain aviation security operations. The directive is aimed at preventing paycheck disruptions for TSA’s frontline screening workforce while other shutdown-related impacts across the federal government continue.
- Who is affected: TSA employees under DHS, including frontline airport screening personnel.
- Action ordered: Trump directed DHS to pay TSA employees during the partial shutdown, according to FedSmith.
- Rationale cited: The President cited a national emergency and the need to maintain continuity of security operations, FedSmith reported.
- What remains unchanged: The order is specific to TSA pay and does not end the partial shutdown or automatically resolve broader funding lapses affecting other agencies and programs, according to FedSmith’s reporting.
- Timing: The directive was reported by FedSmith on March 27, 2026.
- Agency involved: DHS would execute the order; TSA is a DHS component.
Brief context
During a partial government shutdown, agencies without enacted appropriations generally must stop non-excepted activities, while “excepted” employees may be required to work without immediate pay until funding is restored. TSA’s mission—security screening and related aviation security functions—typically continues due to operational necessity, which can leave employees working while awaiting pay.
FedSmith reported that Trump’s directive is intended to prevent that outcome for TSA personnel by requiring DHS to ensure pay continues during the lapse. The report framed the move as an emergency-driven step focused on TSA’s frontline workforce amid continued shutdown disruptions elsewhere.
What it means for you
- If you’re a TSA employee: The directive is intended to keep regular pay flowing during the shutdown, reducing or eliminating the need to wait for back pay after appropriations are restored—depending on how DHS implements the order.
- If you work outside TSA: The order, as described by FedSmith, is not a government-wide pay solution and does not change shutdown rules for other agencies.
- If you’re tracking pay impacts: Monitoring official DHS/TSA guidance will matter for details like pay timing, payroll processing, and whether any special authorities are used. For general federal pay baselines and references, see FedInfo’s pay scales and guides: https://fedinfo.org/.
Source: FedSmith, “Trump Orders Immediate TSA Pay Amid Partial Government Shutdown” (March 27, 2026), https://www.fedsmith.com/2026/03/27/trump-orders-immediate-tsa-pay-amid-partial-government-shutdown/