Trump administration proposes cutting 9,400 TSA workers, $1.5 billion from budget
FILE-Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers check luggage passing through a Xray scanner as passengers go through security in Terminal 7 of Los Angeles International Airport, in Los Angeles, on Monday, March 23, 2026. (Etienne Laurent
The Trump administration is proposing to slash over 9,400 Transportation Security Administration workers and a little over $1.5 billion from the agency that manages airport security operations.
The proposed plan is outlined in a budget document, obtained by Reuters, for the Department of Homeland Security and is part of a White House budget proposal for 2027.
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In April, Congress is scheduled to conduct hearings on the White House budget request as legislators push to reach a new budget deal before the fiscal year concludes on September 30.
TSA proposed cuts
By the numbers:
President Donald Trump on April 3 proposed a plan calling for more airports to privatize Transportation Security Administration security screenings in 2027. Some airports use a TSA partner screening program, which helps manage lines at some smaller airports, while ensuring employees are paid on time.
Reuters reported that the Trump administration claims this change would reduce TSA’s payroll by over 4,500 jobs. Additionally, the TSA has proposed slashing another 4,800 roles by improving efficiency, stopping staffing at exit lanes.
RELATED: Trump suggests more airports privatize security in TSA budget cut proposal
This proposal would also slash the TSA’s nearly $8 billion budget by roughly 20% amid the agency losing over 1,600 workers during the federal government funding disruptions in 2025 and this year.
In March, President Donald Trump announced that he would use federal immigration agents to assist with handling long airport security lines unless Democrats agreed on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
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But Democrats have committed to oppose funding for DHS unless improvements were made in the wake of an immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to the deadly shootings of two protesters. Trump has argued that the presence of ICE agents at airports would be to support the TSA.
The backstory:
Thousands of TSA employees went unpaid during the partial shutdown, causing a shortage of workers and long wait times at several airports in the U.S. Trump signed an executive order last week to get TSA workers their paychecks.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by Reuters, which obtained a budget document outlining the proposed plan. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.