The fallout of the recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown is still, well, falling out, and that’s affecting the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). With the summer travel season imminent, TSA is dealing with the loss of over 1,300 employees due to the 76-day shutdown. There is also more than just the normal summer travel season happening; there is also the FIFA World Cup, which will be played out in 11 American cities, and where TSA will be handling aspects of security and screening.
This could be a real problem.
NEW: Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl tells me the 76 day DHS shutdown resulted in 1,300+ TSA employees leaving the agency, adding that it takes 4-6 months to train new hires, and that it has “hamstrung our preparations” for the FIFA World Cup this summer. DHS says they…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 5, 2026
Mr. Melugin’s post reads in full:
NEW: Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl tells me the 76 day DHS shutdown resulted in 1,300+ TSA employees leaving the agency, adding that it takes 4-6 months to train new hires, and that it has “hamstrung our preparations” for the FIFA World Cup this summer. DHS says they expect an influx of 5-7 million travelers to the US for the World Cup, which they say is the equivalent of hosting 78 Super Bowls spread throughout 11 American cities.
Those travelers will be screened by CBP (which is still unfunded after being cut out of the DHS funding bill. They are currently being paid via OBBB funds).
Stahl says new hires are expressing concern about government shutdowns, the shutdown delayed and the reason most TSA officers quit was because of the lack of job security.
“Not knowing when the next paycheck was going t come to pay for their child’s child care, to put food on the table,” Stahl said. “So the lack of job security continues to be an issue for our TSA personnel, particularly when we’ve experienced our third shutdown now within this fiscal year.”
On the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) saying another DHS shutdown is “absolutely” on the table for Dems later this year?
“We are worried,” Stahl said. “Bennie Thompson, loudly and proudly saying they may shut DHS down again this October, so we are purely in the crosshairs.”
They should be worried. Democrats, driven by Stage IV Trump Derangement Syndrome, are not likely to stop playing these games with people’s paychecks.
We can argue about the structure of the federal security apparatus all day long. We can argue about various issues, from immigration, legal and illegal, to methods, to the value of federal officers doing airport screening, all day long. But Democrats, in pushing these shutdowns, are punishing the officers who are tasked with carrying out their official duties, who do not make policy but carry it out. That’s unfair to the people who are losing their paychecks and to the travelers who are counting on a smooth, seamless experience in what is already a stressful process.
We can’t easily replace these people, and Democrats are now plotting yet another shutdown, forcing the question: How many will quit this time? And how will we replace them?
Read More: Democrats Dig in Against ICE As GOP Forces Funding Showdown
Trump Touts Plan to Do End-Around on Dems, Fund DHS by June 1
This summer will be, as someone once said, a big freakin’ deal for all of DHS, and most especially for TSA.
The World Cup will be hosted across multiple cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the U.S. handling most matches in 11 cities. The event is expected to draw millions of visitors and requires fully operational security measures to ensure public safety. Beyond TSA officers, other critical DHS personnel in Customs and Border Protection, Secret Service, cybersecurity, and FEMA are also affected by funding uncertainties.
And Democrats are, once again, playing politics with these folks’ financial lives. This should be a major campaign point for every GOP candidate in this year’s midterms.
Editor’s Note: The Democrat Party has never been less popular as voters reject its globalist agenda.
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