TSA staffing collapse threatens to destroy crown jewel in Trump's year

The Transportation Security Administration staffing crisis has hit a point that could impact one of the biggest events in President Donald Trump's year: the FIFA World Cup.

Ha Nguyen McNeill, the acting TSA administrator, said during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Wednesday that more than 480 TSA workers have quit since the DHS shutdown started 39 days ago, Politico reported. She cited workers who sleep in their cars, sell their own blood or plasma, or take on second jobs to try and make ends meet while the government shutdown has left them unpaid.

And with millions of people set to arrive in the U.S. for the major sporting event, he flagged looming chaos.

“This is a dire situation. We are facing a potential, perfect storm of severe staffing shortages and an influx of millions of passengers at our airports in less than 80 days,” McNeill said.

Hiring and training new TSA officers generally takes about four to six months, which is approaching the time of the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

“If we see any spikes [in attrition], we’re going to have to pivot and asses how we are going to staff the FIFA locations adequately,” McNeill said.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, marking a significant international sporting event that Trump has boasted will bring millions of visitors to North American venues during the summer months.

"McNeill warned that any officers the agency hires in the coming months won’t be ready to work checkpoint lanes during the FIFA World Cup this summer," according to Politico.

More officers have called out during the stalemate, especially at major airports, which has prompted security screening lanes to consolidate, resulting in longer lines and wait times. Smaller airports have considered closing if they can't have enough staff, she explained.

If the shutdown continues through Friday, the TSA workforce was expected to lose an estimated $1 billion in missed paychecks.