TSA agents quitting nationwide over shutdown INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The local head of the Transportation Security Administration union on Monday said more staff departures are possible if the Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues. Kevin Smith, the president of American Federatio n of Government Employees Local 618, which represents TSA agents at Indianapolis International Airport, said his team has not lost any additional personnel beyond the roughly half-dozen departures he reported last week, but there were times last week when as many as half a dozen more agents called out sick. He said that’s double or triple the number who are normally out at any time. He said he suspects that’s due to agents trying to save up money to pay for gas so they can come to work. “A lot of my officers I went and spoke with this morning are really starting to feel it, really starting to hit with not being able to have money to come in for gas, especially with gas prices as they are right now,” he said. “We’re here, you know, we’re dedicated, we want to be here. We would just like to receive our pay.” So far, Smith said the security lines at the airport are still running normally. Airport officials said Monday’s delays were due to weather in other parts of the country. The Department of Homeland Security said about 300 TSA employees have quit nationwide since the start of the shutdown on Feb. 14. The TSA employs about 65,000 people, including 50,000 transportation security officers, the agents responsible for screening passengers. The shutdown has led to long security lines at other airports nationwide, such as Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Senate Democrats are holding up DHS funding over the Trump administration’s aggressive immigrant removal actions and the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January by immigration agents. Because nearly all DHS employees are considered essential, most of those affected by the shutdown are working without pay rather than being furloughed. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Protection agents are still getting paid through supplemental funding that was included in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While waiting for his flight Monday afternoon, Alfonso Ojeda, a Fort Wayne native who now lives in San Antonio, said neither he nor his friends have run into any security-related delays while traveling but he is “moderately concerned” about the situation. He said he questions why the country can afford a war with Iran but is unable to pay the TSA agents responsible for screening airline passengers. “They really ought to be two separate issues. Fund the airport to make sure that there’s security here and worry about funding ICE in a different way,” he said. “It should be two separate bills.” Smith said the airport and the airlines are still providing meals to TSA agents during their shifts. He said not only does that boost morale, it also helps agents stretch their dollars because it guarantees them one free meal per day. In addition, he said the agents are getting more community outreach as word spreads about their predicament. He said people can help most by calling or writing their U.S. senators to urge them to pass legislation to fund DHS. “We need to put as much pressure on the Senate as we can to get this thing funded,” he said, adding local businesses that want to provide free catering can contact their local TSA offices. ...read more read less