More Than 1,000 TSA Officers Have Quit Amid Shutdown

Authored by Troy Myers via The Epoch Times(emphasis ours),

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Monday thatmore than 1,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers have left the agency since the partial shutdown began on Feb. 14.

Amid therecord-breakinglapse in funding,DHS said that with summer months approaching and the FIFA World Cup kicking off in June, impacts to travelers could be significant.

The department announced the drastic drop in staffing in a post on X, blaming Democrats in Congress for the prolonged shutdown.

“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 wrote.

Fliers at airports across the United States experienced hours-long security lines earlier in the spending lapse.

To ease travel pains, President DonaldTrump on March 23deployedImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to 14 U.S. airports.

“[The American public is] going through a big struggle right now, and we just put ICE in charge, and they’re helping TSA—the agents—and they’re working together so far very well,” Trump said at the time.

If longer wait times persisted, Trump pitched the idea of alsodeployingthe National Guard.

Lauren Bis, acting assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS,toldThe Epoch Times thatfrom the start of the shutdown through March 24, 450 TSA agents had quit.Thousands more werecalling out sickand could not afford gas, childcare, food, or rent, she added.

Source: ZeroHedge News