Transportation Security Administration officers working without pay, combined with staffing shortages and long hours during the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, have pushed airport operations to a breaking point, according to a union steward.
George Borek, a union steward with the American Federation of Government Employees and a TSA officer, told Newsmax that the situation is "unsustainable."
The partial shutdown, now in its sixth week, has left roughly 100,000 TSA employees working without full pay since mid-February amid a political standoff in Washington over immigration policy and DHS funding.
At the same time, President Donald Trump has deployed paid ICE agents to assist at airports, a move intended to ease pressure on TSA but criticized by unions who say those agents lack screening training.
Borek, an officer at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, appeared on "National Report" Wednesday and described the growing strain on frontline workers who have now missed multiple paychecks.
"We go to work with the expectation that we're going to get paid every two weeks, which has not happened," Borek said. "So certainly, I have to make choices for myself and my family and what I can or cannot do."
Borek said many officers are approaching what is effectively their third missed full paycheck, with some initially receiving only partial pay due to the timing of the shutdown.
"It's sad to say that we've been thrust into something that is no doing of our own," he said. "Our employees want to come to work; they want to do their job."
"We're not asking for a raise. They just want a paycheck."
The financial toll has been severe, with workers reporting maxed-out credit cards, eviction risks, and difficulty affording basic necessities — conditions echoed in national reports of TSA employees relying on food banks or sleeping in their cars.
Borek said the staffing shortages are already affecting operations in Atlanta, one of the nation's busiest airports.
"I don't know how many officers I'm going to be working with on a particular day," he said. "I may have 18 officers … but there are some days I only have three."
As a result, security lanes are being reduced, driving long wait times that have stretched for hours at major airports across the country.
"If I have 100 officers … we can handle volume," Borek said. "But if that number goes down to 12 officers … I can only open one lane."
Nationwide, more than 450 TSA workers have quit during the shutdown, while callouts have surged, further straining the system. Despite the shortages, Borek said many officers are working extended shifts without compensation to keep operations running.
"There's some days I'm working 16-hour days," he said. "I have eight-hour shifts, so I'll come in and work an additional eight hours just to help my fellow officers."
He warned that the current pace cannot continue.
"We're at a point where it's unsustainable," Borek said. "Working overtime and not getting paid … what good is it?"
He added that conditions are likely to worsen without a resolution, especially with major travel events approaching.
"It's going to get worse if the powers that be can't come up to a solution," Borek said.
The TSA has reported nearly $1 billion in missed pay for workers during the shutdown, while absentee rates at some airports have climbed sharply, contributing to delays and concerns about system capacity.
While Borek emphasized that officers remain committed to safety, he acknowledged the limits of operating with reduced staffing.
"We have the best equipment in the world, but you need a physical person there to operate the equipment to make sure that the traveling public is safe," he said.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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