The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that “most TSA employees” began receiving retroactive paychecks that covered missed pay during the recent shutdown. “Most TSA employees received a retroactive paycheck today that included at least two full paychecks covering pay periods 4 and 5 today,” DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis said, according to The Hill. JUST IN: After weeks of chaos in U.S. airports, the TSA said that most of its officers received much of their backpay Monday for working during the shutdown.https://t.co/s5AdEc4Li8 — NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) March 30, 2026 The Hill explained further: Pay periods 4 and 5 are the most recent times interrupted by the shutdown. The DHS shutdown began in the middle of the third pay period, and Bis said DHS is “working aggressively” with the relevant financial institutions “to complete processing for the half paycheck they are owed from pay period 3 as soon as possible.” Bis said other TSA employees “might see a slight delay” for reasons including “financial institution processing times or issues with their direct deposit.” A source close to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) — the union representing approximately 47,000 of the 51,000 TSA workers who worked unpaid during the shutdown — confirmed many TSA officers began receiving back pay Monday for periods 4 and 5, but not for outstanding payment from period 3. The payments follow an executive order signed by President Trump on Friday to pay TSA officers and employees. “As the Democrat-caused shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues well into its sixth week, America’s air travel system has reached its breaking point. This is an unprecedented emergency situation,” a presidential memorandum read. “Currently, more than 60,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees, including approximately 50,000 transportation security officers who perform security functions at domestic airports, are not being paid due to congressional Democrats’ reckless decision to prioritize criminal illegal aliens over American citizens and shut down DHS until their demand to prohibit enforcement of Federal immigration law is met,” it continued. President Trump Signs Order To Pay TSA Workers Amid “Democrat-Caused Shutdown” CBS News has more: The shortage of TSA officers is still slowing security lines at major airports, where staffing shortages are more severe than the national average, but wait times seemed to be stabilizing Monday. TSA officers were calling out absent at elevated rates Sunday, even as there were signs that part of their back pay over the 45-day partial shutdown was beginning to reach their bank accounts. 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%."