This move follows a partial government shutdown that left thousands of federal screeners working without pay, causing security lines at some U.S. hubs.
According to a TSA spokesperson, the program is an update to an existing model where private security companies operate checkpoints under federal oversight.
The Cost of Federal Instability: Unpaid Officers
The push for private security is a response to the chaos of a partial government shutdown. The lapse in funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) left approximately 50,000 TSA officers working without pay.
This financial strain has triggered a staffing crisis. The agency reported national call-out rates exceeding 10%, with more than 360 officers resigning during the funding standoff, as reported by Foxnews.
The result for travelers has been disruption. Long security lines snaked into baggage claim areas and parking garages at some U.S. airports.
The Screening Partnership Program and the SFO Model
While most of the 400 commercial airports in the U.S. rely on federal employees, at least 20 participate in the Screening Partnership Program (SPP), established in 2004. These hubs use private contractors who are paid through pre-funded federal contracts, insulating them from government shutdowns.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has become the primary case study for this model’s efficacy. Doug Yakel, a spokesperson for SFO, told Fox News Digital that private screening helped maintain a stable workforce
during a record 43-day shutdown last year.
The operational contrast is stark. While federal hubs faced lines stretching into parking garages, VMD Corp., a contractor at Kansas City International and Orlando Sanford International airports, claimed on social media that SPP airports maintained lines of less than three minutes.
| Private Screening Hubs (SPP) | Operational Status During Shutdown |
|---|---|
| San Francisco International (SFO) | Maintained operations; screeners paid throughout |
| Kansas City International (MCI) | Lines reported under three minutes |
| Tupelo Regional Airport | Normal operations via BOS Security |
| Orlando Sanford International | Avoided staffing issues and long lines |
The Deployment of ICE Agents to Checkpoints
In an attempt to mitigate the staffing collapse, President Donald Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to assist the TSA. Starting March 23, 2026, these agents were deployed to airports including Phoenix Sky Harbor.
The deployment has been met with friction. ICE agents and TSA officers are working side by side.
Pascual Contreras, a TSA officer and union representative, said he was not qualified to answer whether he wanted the agents to leave, noting that personally he did, but professionally he would not speak on it. He added that he did not believe the agents were trained in a way that they could help, and that he had seen them standing around without knowing if they were doing anything. Pascual Contreras, TSA officer and union rep
The move has also sparked political backlash. Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton hosted a press conference at the airport on Monday afternoon, calling on Congress to pass legislation to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security.
The Privatization Trade-off: Security vs. Labor
The transition to private security is not without contention. The union representing federal screeners argues that privatization is a mechanism to erode job protections and reduce pay and benefits. The federal workforce is heavily unionized, whereas private sector unionization rates are much lower, often translating to lower wages.
However, proponents argue the security standard remains unchanged. Daniel Bubb, a commercial aviation expert at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Fox News Digital that with private screening, employees still have to be trained and follow the same federal security standards as TSA
.
Despite the payment stability, the core stresses of the job remain. A 2023 GAO study on TSA officer morale found low job satisfaction due to demanding conditions and a lack of work-life balance—pressures that private contractors face in the same environment.
Political Standoffs
The broader crisis is rooted in a funding standoff over the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats in Congress have refused to fund the department, citing objections to immigration enforcement tactics.
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