DHS Shutdown & Domestic Security — 2026-03-26
TSA Callout Rates Hit 40% at Major Airports as DHS Shutdown Reaches Day 41
The DHS partial shutdown reached day 41 with TSA callout rates hitting 40.3% at Houston Hobby, 37.4% at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, and 39.8% at Houston Intercontinental on Tuesday. More than 480 TSA officers have resigned since the shutdown began February 14, with unpaid payroll approaching $1 billion by March 27 per TSA congressional testimony. The TSA acting administrator warned some airports may need to close. ICE agents deployed to 14 airports have not reduced wait times. The White House rejected an offer from Elon Musk to cover TSA salaries, citing federal ethics rules around his government contracts. Congressional pressure is intensifying with less than 24 hours before Easter recess.
Analysis
The approaching $1 billion unpaid payroll figure and 40% callout rates at major hubs put this shutdown into uncharted territory. With Easter recess starting March 27, Congress has less than 24 hours to reach a deal before members scatter for two weeks, leaving TSA workers unpaid through mid-April. Four independent primary sources confirm this story from different angles: TSA's own congressional testimony (March 25) provides the official $1 billion unpaid payroll figure and callout statistics, CNN independently reported on ICE airport deployments and their ineffectiveness, CBS News independently covered resignation numbers and absence trends, and Government Executive tracked callout spikes with its own reporting. The resignation figure of 480+ is consistent across sources (TSA testified to ~460 on March 25; AP/WashPost reported 'nearly 500' by March 26). The Musk salary offer rejection is independently confirmed by CBS News, The Hill, and Fox Business. High confidence in the core facts.
The approaching $1 billion unpaid payroll figure and 40% callout rates at major hubs put this shutdown into uncharted territory. With Easter recess starting March 27, Congress has less than 24 hours to reach a deal before members scatter for two weeks, leaving TSA workers unpaid through mid-April. Four independent primary sources confirm this story from different angles: TSA's own congressional testimony (March 25) provides the official $1 billion unpaid payroll figure and callout statistics, CNN independently reported on ICE airport deployments and their ineffectiveness, CBS News independently covered resignation numbers and absence trends, and Government Executive tracked callout spikes with its own reporting. The resignation figure of 480+ is consistent across sources (TSA testified to ~460 on March 25; AP/WashPost reported 'nearly 500' by March 26). The Musk salary offer rejection is independently confirmed by CBS News, The Hill, and Fox Business. High confidence in the core facts.