TSA absences still high at some airports, even as workers begin to get back pay

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The shortage of TSA officers is inactive slowing information lines astatine large airports, wherever staffing shortages are much terrible than the nationalist average, but hold times seemed to beryllium stabilizing Monday. TSA officers were calling retired absent astatine elevated rates Sunday, adjacent arsenic determination were signs that portion of their backmost wage implicit the 45-day partial shutdown was opening to scope their slope accounts.

Although Congress has failed to scope a woody to money the Department of Homeland Security and lawmakers person near municipality Friday for a two-week recess, President Trump signed an enforcement order directing the DHS caput to wage TSA workers during the shutdown.

Nationwide, the call-out complaint stood astatine 10.6%, oregon 3,101 officers Sunday, down from a highest of 12.4% connected March 27. Even so, the fig remains good supra emblematic levels, which mostly autumn successful the debased azygous digits — astir 2% — underscoring continued strain connected airdrome screening operations.

Baltimore/Washington International Airport reported a 38.5% call-out rate, portion Houston's George Bush Intercontinental had a 36.4% complaint and the city's William P. Hobby Airport had a 34.1% lack rate. New Orleans and Atlanta each topped 33%, portion large Northeast hubs including JFK, LaGuardia and Philadelphia airports each reported rates adjacent oregon supra 20%.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were sent to assistance TSA astatine BWI Airport and different airports implicit the weekend, and White House borderline czar Tom Homan told CBS News "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that officers would beryllium successful spot until the airports "feel similar they're 100%." On Monday, each of BWI's checkpoints were open.

"Now that I received the deposit, the cars are each gassed up and I'm acceptable to spell to. I'll be, I'll beryllium astatine my checkpoint tomorrow," TSA serviceman and national authoritative Pasqual Contreras told CBS News Monday. Last week, helium ran retired of state wealth to marque the two-hour circular travel regular commute to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

"It pays the rent. it pays March, but arsenic we tin each see, we're successful April already. So it doesn't spell far," Contreras said. "It's capable to — possibly not proceed staying successful the reddish — but not by much."

CBS News obtained a announcement sent to TSA workers indicating that they person received wage for 160 hours, covering the play from Feb. 22 to March 21. They're inactive missing wage for Feb. 14-21, and it's besides not yet wide whether they've been paid for overtime hours worked during the shutdown. After past fall's authorities shutdown, it took respective wage periods to benignant retired missed wage issues.

DHS officials said immoderate paychecks began to beryllium deposited successful workers' accounts arsenic aboriginal arsenic Monday, with different workers expected to person payments Tuesday. The department's extremity is to person astir workers paid by adjacent of concern Tuesday, with an extracurricular deadline of Wednesday, April 1, erstwhile a fig of bills thin to beryllium due.

The staggered timing reflects banking practices, alternatively than differences successful payroll. DHS transmitted payments connected the aforesaid schedule, but immoderate fiscal institutions merchandise funds arsenic soon arsenic they person announcement of an incoming deposit, portion others hold until the authoritative colony date.

The payments travel weeks of disruption during the partial DHS shutdown, which near astir 50,000 TSA officers moving without wage and contributed to wide airdrome delays, precocious absenteeism and staffing shortages. The fiscal strain forced much than 510 TSA officers to quit.

The president's enforcement bid lone covers wage for TSA workers. ICE agents person continued to beryllium paid due to the fact that Congress provided backing for them successful past year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but tens of thousands of DHS workers are continuing to enactment without pay, among them, Coast Guard, FEMA and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency employees.

CBS News has asked DHS for further details connected which appropriations oregon backing mechanisms are being utilized to screen the payments, arsenic good arsenic however agelong they tin support this up.

Julia Griggs contributed to this report.

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