'Dire situation': TSA chief warns of US airport closures amid DHS shutdown, says assaults on officers up over 500%

The ongoing funding deadlock in the US Congress is beginning to strain aviation security operations, with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) warning of potential airport shutdowns and a sharp rise in workplace challenges including dealing with assault incidents amid stressful situation.

Testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee, acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill described the situation as increasingly untenable, citing staffing shortages, financial distress among workers, and operational risks at major airports.




“This is a dire situation,” she testified, warning of potential airport closures. “At this point, we have to look at all options on the table. And that does require us to, at some point, make very difficult choices as to which airports we might try to keep open and which ones we might have to shut down as our callout rates increase.”

She also flagged a significant spike in violence against personnel, noting that TSA officers have faced a more than 500 per cent increase in assaults since the shutdown began. “This is unacceptable and it will not be tolerated,” McNeill said.

The agency is also grappling with high absenteeism, with some locations reporting callout rates exceeding 40 per cent. More than 480 TSA officers have resigned during the prolonged shutdown, further straining operations.

McNeill highlighted the personal toll on employees, many of whom have gone without pay for weeks. “Some are sleeping in their cars, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on second jobs to make ends meet, all while being expected to perform at the highest level when in uniform to protect the traveling public,” she said.

At airports, the impact is already visible. Long security queues have stretched for hours in some locations, with officials warning that delays could worsen if the impasse continues. In Houston, reduced staffing has forced checkpoints to operate at a fraction of normal capacity, leading to wait times of up to four hours.

ICE agents have been deployed at several US airports to assist with ID checks and crowd management amid a shortage of TSA staff during the DHS shutdown. While trained to use TSA equipment, their expanded role has raised concerns among passengers over authority and potential targeting.

While Republican leaders have proposed partial funding measures, Democrats are pushing for changes to enforcement practices, including greater oversight and restrictions on operations. Both sides have accused the other of prolonging the crisis, with no immediate resolution in sight.

Beyond aviation security, officials warned that other agencies are also under pressure. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund is nearing depletion, raising concerns about its ability to sustain long-term response efforts if the shutdown continues.

With negotiations deadlocked, officials say the risks to critical services—from airport security to disaster response—are mounting by the day.