The White House warned in late April that emergency funds used to pay Transportation Security Administration and other DHS workers are nearly exhausted.
A funding collapse would threaten the stability of U.S. airport security and border operations. Because these employees maintain critical infrastructure, a lack of payroll funding could lead to staffing shortages and significant travel disruptions across the country.
The Office of Management and Budget issued the warning on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security [1, 2]. The agency has been forced to rely on emergency money to pay staff during a partial government shutdown [3, 5]. This period now represents the longest lapse in agency funding on record [2].
Officials said the cash pool is depleted because Congress has been slow to pass a funding bill [3, 5]. According to the Department of Homeland Security, there is only one payroll remaining for TSA workers [5].
Warnings indicate that these funds could run out entirely by May 2026 [4]. The depletion of these resources raises the risk of airport delays as the shutdown crisis deepens [4].
Government officials said the reliance on emergency funds was a temporary measure to maintain essential services. However, the continued lack of a legislative agreement has pushed the department to the brink of a financial shortfall [3, 5].
“Emergency money used to pay TSA and other DHS workers could run out by May 2026.”
The exhaustion of emergency funds signals a critical failure in the legislative process to resolve the partial government shutdown. If Congress does not pass a funding bill, the DHS may be unable to pay its workforce, potentially forcing a reduction in security personnel at airports and borders, which would cause systemic delays in national travel and commerce.
