Some Transportation Security Administration agent quit over Homeland Security shutdown INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The head of the local Transportation Security Administration union on Tuesday said some agents have quit and more could follow as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues. Kevin Smith, president of American Federation of Government Employess Local 618, said about half a dozen TSA agents working at Indianapolis International Airport have quit since the DHS shutdown began on Feb. 14. He said the agents are still recovering financially from the record 43-day shutdown last fall. Smith said Friday will be the first full paycheck the agents will miss and that some agents are still paying off loans they took out to get by during the last shutdown. “It’s more annoying at this point than anything,” Smith said. “We’re used to it every year. But this is the third one since November and so it’s very frustrating, and for those who just started and didn’t know about this or didn’t prepare for this, it’s really bad for them.” Smith said about 240 TSA agents currently work at Indianapolis International Airport. Smaller numbers work at the airports in Evansville, Fort Wayne, Lafayette and South Bend, for a statewide total of a little less than 370. Senate Democrats are holding up funding for DHS over the Trump administration’s immigration raids. They are demanding immigration agents seek judicial warrants for their raids and discontinue their use of face masks to hide their identities. Smith said the shutdown means TSA agents, FEMA and civilian Coast Guard employees are not getting paid. Sworn law enforcement officers working for DHS agencies, however, are getting paid through separate funding that was set aside through last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This means Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, the very agencies Democrats say need reform, are not affected. TSA staffing shortages have led to long security lines at some major airports. Two-hour lines were reported at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and lines at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston lasted as long as three hours. Travelers at Indianapolis International Airport reported no issues so far, but airport officials on Tuesday said they expect abouty 623,000 passengers will fly out of the airport between now and April 13 due to spring break. They said they expect March to be the second-busiest month in the airport’s history after the records set last October. Airport officials said the shutdown affecting TSA means arriving early is even more crucial. Smith said TSA agents aren’t getting the outpouring of public support they’ve received in the past because this shutdown is so narrow. All federal agencies outside the Department of Homeland Security are funded through the end of the budget year on Sept. 30 and thus are not affected. He said the agents are receiving help from some quarters, though. Smith said Gleaners contacted them on the first day of the shutdown to offer to help. In addition, he said the airlines are providing meals to working agents, something he said they do every time there is a lapse in pay. “Food is a very good morale builder and right now, morale is, of course, not very well,” he said. “So we truly appreciate and we love our airport and our airlines. They’re always really good about helping us out.” He said the flying public are not as affected as last time because air traffic controllers are not affected. They work for the FAA, which is part of the Department of Transportation. Smith said the problem will be security lines getting longer. He said food assistance helps but loss of paychecks means agents will have trouble paying for gas to get to work. “The more that this goes on, the more officers aren’t going to be able to afford to come in, the less staff we have, the longer the lines are,” he said. “Right now, we’re doing okay.” By federal law, the TSA agents will receive back pay once the shutdown ends. ...read more read less