White House budget would cut thousands of TSA jobs: What to know

President Trump’s 2027 budget proposal would cut thousands of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) jobs in a push toward privatizing the agency founded in 2001 that is housed under the Department of Homeland Security. 

Conservatives have long sought to outsource airport security, arguing that shifting screening to contractors would cut costs and improve operational efficiency. Critics — including labor groups and some Democrats — say private companies would prioritize profit over security, risking passengers’ safety and leading to significant job losses.

The debate has taken on renewed urgency in recent weeks, after Congress failed to pass funding for DHS, leaving TSA officers working without pay for weeks and straining airport operations nationwide. More than 500 officers resigned during the lapse, and thousands more skipped shifts each day, contributing to long security lines and flight delays.

The administration is now proposing to expand the use of private screening through its latest budget request, touting the existing contractor-run program at nearly two dozen small airports around the country as a more flexible and cost-effective model that would shift screening away from a federal workforce.

The White House requested a TSA budget of $11.7 billion for Fiscal Year 2027, including 53,199 positions and 50,398 full-time equivalents (FTEs), according to a DHS congressional justification report on the TSA budget request.

That represents a reduction of 8,385 positions and 9,439 FTEs from the Fiscal Year 2026 annualized continuing resolution. 

Among the thousands of jobs proposed to be cut are 2,462 Transportation Security Officer (TSO) positions and 4,351 TSO FTEs. Under a section of the budget called........

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