LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — TSA officers at Harry Reid International Airport are working without paychecks, and some have started receiving eviction notices as the government shutdown continues.
Nationwide, hundreds of TSA officers have resigned. At Harry Reid International Airport, daily call-outs have reached 10 to 15 percent for weeks.
Wait times at the airport are currently around 10 to 15 minutes, and lines are moving. For travelers, it may feel like business as usual. But behind the checkpoint, many TSA officers are working without a paycheck.
President announces plan to pay TSA agents
President Donald Trump said Thursday he would sign an order instructing the Homeland Security secretary to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration agents as Congress struggled to reach a deal to end a budget impasse.
Trump announced his decision in a social media post, saying he wanted to quickly stop the “Chaos at the Airports.”
“It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it!” the president posted.
Details of the president’s plan were not immediately available. The White House had floated the extraordinary move of invoking a national emergency to pay TSA agents, while senators were reviewing a “last and final” offer from Republicans to Democrats to end the funding impasse at the Department of Homeland Security.
TSA officer receives eviction notice
A TSA worker who asked not to be identified said he recently received an eviction notice from his apartment complex, even though he told them he is a TSA worker.
“I thought working for the government was, in my head at the time, the most stable career that I could have,” he said.
The employee has been with the department for three years. He has experienced two government shutdowns in just three months.
“I feel very defeated, even though it’s not my fault. I know it’s the government’s fault for shutting down and not being able to come to an agreement. But in a sense, as a man, I feel very defeated,” he said.
The employee said he is struggling to keep up with essentials like groceries, child care, and gas to get to and from work.
“I don’t want to be homeless. I don’t want to be kicked out to the streets. Especially since I have a wife and a kid,” he said.
Legal protections available
Workers like the TSA officer have rights.
“They can’t assess late fees. And the landlord cannot terminate a tenant’s lease for unpaid rent if they are affected by the shutdown,” said Taylor Altman, staff attorney at the Consumer Rights Project at Legal Aid Center.
According to the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, federal workers impacted are guaranteed safe housing during the shutdown and 30 days following.
Similarly with homeowners, if an impacted worker cannot pay their mortgage due to the shutdown, a foreclosure sale cannot be started against them during the shutdown and for 90 days after it ends.
Federal workers who receive a 30-Day No Cause or 7-Day Nonpayment of Rent notice should send their landlord a letter advising the landlord of their rights during the shutdown and providing proof of federal worker status. If the landlord rejects the request for the 30-day stay period, the tenant can petition the court for an order to continue in possession for an additional 30 days.
“I’ve been contemplating leaving TSA because of how stressful it is and how inconsistent it has been,” the TSA officer said.
Resources for federal workers
The Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada offers shutdown resources at lacsn.org/shutdown. The organization also offers a free eviction sealing class. For a class schedule and to register, visit lacsn.org/what-we-do/free-classes.
Legal Aid Center’s walk-in hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 725 E. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89104.
The Civil Law Self-Help Center provides in-person legal information and free forms. The center is located on the first floor of the Regional Justice Center, 200 Lewis Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89101. Resources, including forms for all tenants who receive eviction notices, are available at civillawselfhelpcenter.org/self-help/evictions-housing/evictions/information-for-tenants.
The Department of Homeland Security offers a letter to creditors for employees at dhs.gov/employee-resources/publication/ochco-creditor-letter. Affected employees may want to contact their creditors to explain their situation and see what accommodations can be made.
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