Overview
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem distributed roughly two dozen $10,000 checks at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport as the program launched.
- DHS says a nationwide review will identify several thousand TSA officers noted for exemplary performance by supervisors to receive the bonuses.
- The department confirmed the payments will draw on carryover funds from fiscal year 2025, with precise criteria and deposit dates still to be announced.
- Aviation operations remain strained, with the FAA holding flight reductions at about 6% at major airports as staffing and schedules normalize.
- President Trump has proposed $10,000 bonuses for air traffic controllers with perfect attendance during the shutdown, while unions have questioned the fairness of selective TSA awards.