The Department of Homeland Security is warning that emergency money being used to pay workers during the partial government shutdown is nearly gone, raising new concerns for airport operations and federal staffing nationwide.
According to TIME Magazine, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the department may run out of available payroll funds by the beginning of May, putting thousands of employees at risk of missing checks again if Congress does not pass a funding bill soon.
“My payroll through DHS is just over $1.6 billion every two weeks, so the money is going extremely fast and once that happens, there is no emergency funds after that,” Mullin said. “I’ve got one payroll left and there is no more emergency funds, so the President can’t do another executive order because there’s no more money there.”
The shutdown began on February 14 during a political standoff over immigration enforcement funding and has become the longest department-specific funding lapse in U.S. history. Donald Trump previously ordered that DHS workers receive compensation through emergency funding tied to the President’s One Big Beautiful Bill, temporarily restoring pay after weeks of disruption.
Now, with that money reportedly drying up, uncertainty is growing again for agencies under DHS, including FEMA, the Coast Guard, cybersecurity operations, and the Transportation Security Administration.
The TSA has already taken one of the hardest hits during the shutdown. Earlier this week, DHS confirmed that more than 1,000 TSA officers have left their jobs since the funding lapse began, creating major staffing shortages at airports around the country.
Officials also warned the losses could create serious travel problems heading into the summer season and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Ahead of the FIFA World Cup and summer travel, this loss has SIGNIFICANTLY decreased TSA’s ability to meet passenger demand and left critical gaps in staffing, as each new recruit requires 4-6 MONTHS of training,” DHS said.
During the height of the staffing crunch, several airports reported security lines lasting hours before conditions improved once paychecks resumed. If funding expires again and no deal is reached, travelers could soon face another round of delays while federal workers brace for renewed uncertainty.
