On Friday, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers will face another paycheck that amounts to zero dollars amid the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. Late Thursday, President Donald Trump announced his intention to sign an executive order aimed at “immediately paying our TSA Agents to address this Emergency Situation” and to “quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports.” Meanwhile, the Senate moved forward with a new, last-minute deal during the early hours of Friday.
In an exclusive report to Fox News Digital on Thursday, the TSA shared stories from officers stationed at airports nationwide, illustrating the personal hardships they are enduring due to the shutdown. These accounts were provided with anonymity to protect the officers’ privacy.
One officer, stationed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, saw his aspirations of becoming a homeowner dashed. The officer faced a life-changing decision after being denied a home loan in Georgia because he couldn’t keep up with his rent payments.
As a result, the officer is now compelled to relocate nearly 1,000 miles to live with family in New York.
Here are more stories from TSA officers across the country.
Here are other stories.
Devastating house fire on top of no pay
A TSA officer working at Tulsa International Airport in Oklahoma suffered a devastating house fire last week on top of the challenges of receiving no pay.
As a result, she lost her home, her belongings, her car and a beloved pet.
She and her family now have to rebuild their lives without knowing exactly when she’ll be paid.
No electricity, can’t get it restored
Another TSA officer had uprooted her life to move to New York to work at Albany International Airport.
Now, due to the back-to-back shutdowns and her lack of steady pay, her credit score has dropped from 800 to 500.
To survive, she moved into a camper, the agency reported. The electricity in the camper has since gone out — and she can’t afford to have it fixed.
Homes and cars damaged, can’t get them fixed
At the beginning of the month, powerful storms ripped through Michigan, with tornadoes reducing some homes to rubble and causing widespread damage in the Great Lake State.
Multiple TSA officers working at Detroit Metropolitan Airport were left with damaged homes and vehicles. Today, these officers cannot afford to fix them, the TSA told Fox News Digital.
Serious medical expenses that are going unpaid
A TSA agent working at Portland International Airport in Oregon is the sole caregiver for his mother. He also supports his brother.
His mother has been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, and his brother has suffered a severe leg infection — putting him out of work.
The TSA officer is responsible for these family members’ medical expenses.
Can’t afford Easter baskets for her children
A TSA agent at Bismarck Airport in North Dakota has worked there for nearly 10 years — enduring multiple government shutdowns.
She made the tough choice now of leaving the job she loves after realizing she can’t even afford to buy Easter baskets for her children this year.
Since the start of this partial government shutdown, more than 480 TSA officers have been forced to quit their jobs.
“I can tell you right now that the reverberations that will be felt from this will be long-standing,” TSA Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl told Fox News Digital this week.
“They will continue for days [even] after we get a re-appropriation and funding, particularly for the TSA.”
“We are already taking proactive measures to make sure that we’re going to get our people paid as quickly as possible,” he added.
Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller and Preston Mizell contributed reporting.
