TSA absences still high at some airports, even as workers begin to get back pay
TSA staffing shortages remain far more severe than the national average, although wait times seemed to be stabilizing Monday.
Updated on: March 30, 2026 / 7:45 PM EDT / CBS News
Although Congress has failed to reach a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security and lawmakers have left town Friday for a two-week recess, President Trump signed an executive order directing the DHS secretary to pay TSA workers during the shutdown.
Nationwide, the call-out rate stood at 10.6%, or 3,101 officers Sunday, down from a peak of 12.4% on March 27. Even so, the figure remains well above typical levels, which generally fall in the low single digits — around 2% — underscoring continued strain on airport screening operations.
Baltimore/Washington International Airport reported a 38.5% call-out rate, while Houston's George Bush Intercontinental had a 36.4% rate and the city's William P. Hobby Airport had a 34.1% absence rate. New Orleans and Atlanta each topped 33%, while major Northeast hubs including JFK, LaGuardia and Philadelphia airports all reported rates near or above 20%.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were sent to assist TSA at BWI Airport and other airports over the weekend, and White House border czar Tom Homan told CBS News " Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan " that officers would be in place until the airports "feel like they're 100%." On Monday, all of BWI's checkpoints were open.