How is the federal shutdown affecting TSA at Sacramento airport? Tip: Arrive early
Headed out of Sacramento for spring break? Get to the airport early — the government shutdown is leaving fewer TSA officers on the job and could mean longer security lines, prompting officials to urge travelers to arrive three hours before takeoff.
Absences among Transportation Security Administration workers have been reported at airports across the country as the shutdown, which has cut off pay to those employees, reached its 26th day Wednesday, and Sacramento is no exception.
TSA employees have been calling off work more than usual over the past week at Sacramento’s airport, said James Mudrock, a TSA worker for about 21 years. Mudrock is also the Northern California vice president for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1260, which represents transportation security officers in California, Nevada and Arizona.
Mudrock would not discuss absence numbers, saying he did not want people with a “negative interest” to know specifics. He said TSA workers face higher stress levels due to heightened security concerns over President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, on top of working through the peak spring break travel period.
Travelers should arrive at Sacramento International Airport three hours before their flights — one hour more than is usually recommended — due to the possible ongoing absences and the increase in travel between March 5 and 15, airport spokesperson Scott Johnston said. Anyone with planned flights also is encouraged to check with their airline and use the MyTSA app, which can provide general information such as typical security line wait times and whether PreCheck is available.
Mudrock, who is based in Sacramento, said he has seen some longer wait times but nothing compared with larger airports, such as Houston and New Orleans, where travelers had to wait hours in security lines.
“We’re still in the early stages of the shutdown, relatively,” he said. “But the longer this goes on, I can’t imagine it’s going to get any better.”
TSA officers have been operating without pay since mid-February, when funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed after Congress failed to reach an agreement on immigration enforcement reforms following the deaths of Renee Good and.Alex Pretti — U.S. citizens shot and killed by federal agents. The debate continues along partisan lines with no end in sight.
TSA employees received a partial paycheck on Feb. 28 for work completed before the partial shutdown. They will miss their first full paycheck on Saturday.
“That (Feb. 28) paycheck came on time,” Mudrock said. “But they have no idea when they’re going to see their next one.”
Mudrock said TSA employees nationwide are struggling due to the loss of wages, with some unable to afford gas to drive to work or buy groceries for their families.
This shutdown, the third in less than six months, is different because workers have no indication of when it may end, Mudrock said. The first shutdown took place in October 2025 and lasted 43 days — the longest in U.S. history. A partial shutdown occurred for four days in early February.
“In previous ones, we had some idea of how negotiations were going. ... There was some light at the end of the tunnel, even if it seemed far away at times,” he said. “Right now, our people have no idea how long this is going to last.”
As the stalemate goes on, workers at SMF are just trying to do their jobs — one passenger and one piece of luggage at a time — Mudrock said.
Mudrock encouraged travelers to show up earlier, expect longer wait times and be patient with TSA workers.
The local TSA office did not respond to a request for comment.
This story was originally published March 10, 2026 at 3:56 PM.
