The partial government shutdown over funding for the Department of Homeland Security has caused major staffing shortages within the Transportation Security Administration, an agency under DHS that handles airport security procedures created in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. TSA officers have not been paid for over a month, leading to hundreds of resignations and leaves of absence. As airports are hit with significant delays, Cameron Cochems, the vice president of a union representing thousands of fellow TSA workers, urges travelers to use their time waiting to call their elected representatives “to fund the TSA so we can get our paychecks and we can get back to work.”

To fill staffing shortages, DHS has deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to U.S. airports. This comes as ICE is under fire for a hiring surge with minimal vetting and training for new officers. “It really feels like they’re a Band-Aid over a gaping wound. Our officers, they’re not getting paid, and having people that come in that are getting paid just feels like an insult,” says Cochems, who adds that the ultimate goal of the Republican Party is to eliminate union protections and privatize the TSA.

Transcript

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been deployed to more than a dozen airports nationwide amid severe staffing shortages within the Transportation Security Administration, TSA, caused by the prolonged partial government shutdown. TSA workers have gone without pay for more than a month. At least 400 TSA officers have quit, and absences are as high as 40% at some airports, leading to hourslong wait times. ICE agents deployed to airports are supposed to assist TSA workers, but President Trump said they could also conduct arrests.

AMY GOODMAN: For more, we’re joined by Cameron Cochems, a lead TSA officer in Boise, Idaho, vice president of the AFGE TSA Local 1127 union representing over 4,000 workers.

Cameron, thanks so much for being with us. In these last few minutes, first respond to Trump deploying ICE agents. What are they going to be doing? You’re a TSA worker.

CAMERON COCHEMS: That’s a great question. Thanks for having me, Amy. We don’t really know what they’re going to be doing. As of right now, as of yesterday and this morning, what they’ve been doing is they’ve been standing around just like pulling security, which isn’t really what we need. We need people manning the checkpoints. And so, it really feels like they’re a Band-Aid over a gaping wound. You know, our officers, they’re not getting paid, and having people that come in that are getting paid just feels like an insult to a lot of us.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Cameron, how’s your union managing the potential punishment of workers choosing to find other means of sustenance?

CAMERON COCHEMS: So, that’s a big thing. You know, during the shutdown, all ways of them disciplining us are paused. But when this is over, they’re going to try to get all these people who have been calling out because they can’t afford rent and they can’t afford gas and they can’t afford child care. And so we’re just preparing for grievances to be filed against them, because we need to protect our officers. And that’s just where we’re at right now.

AMY GOODMAN: Cameron, supposedly, if you didn’t take time off, if you didn’t call in sick, you get some extra money. Is that, right? Who does this penalize? Who are the people who are taking off during this time they’re not paid?

CAMERON COCHEMS: Yeah, so, as of right now, there hasn’t been any talk of a bonus or an incentive, like there was last time. But even the last one, that came out after the fact. So, same thing if that happened this time. You know, the people who get rewarded are the ones that are able to weather this storm. So, the people who can’t afford child care, the people who can’t figure out how to get to work because they can’t pay for gas, those are the ones that are going to get affected, and those are the ones that are going to be hurt the most by not being able to get the bonuses. That’s why the union is advocating for an across-the-board bonus, like what has happened before in the past.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And what’s your message to people who are dealing with long lines at the airports across the country and may be frustrated with what’s going on?

CAMERON COCHEMS: Yeah, I mean, if you have to wait in line, don’t blame the TSA officers. They’re just trying to live their lives, trying to work as best as they can. You know, what I recommend them doing, since they have a lot of free time when they’re waiting in line, is they should be calling their congressmember and telling them to fund the TSA, so we can get our paychecks and we can get back to work.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about what TSA workers do, what you’re trained to do, and the fact that ICE agents are going to be there, and, what, they are also arresting people at the airports?

CAMERON COCHEMS: Yeah, so, when TSA officers are hired, you know, we go through about six months, at minimum, of rigorous training to become certified in the positions we do. You know, we’re trained in how to detect fake IDs. We’re trained on how to run X-rays. We’re trained on how to run the body scanners, which are called AITs. We’re trained in detection of, you know, people acting suspiciously and stuff like that, and so we’re trained in pat-downs. So, all those different things, you have to be recertified on every year. We have a rigorous training program, like I said. We have training instructors that are constantly watching us to make sure that we’re constantly up to date on all of our stuff. And so, as the union, you know, we don’t think any person should come in untrained. And so, anyone who is going to be helping us in those positions should be trained to the same standards as TSA officers.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: I wanted to ask you also — back a year ago, in March of 2025, the former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, she basically terminated the collective bargaining rights of the 50,000 TSA agents. Could you talk about how this was actually part of that notorious Project 2025 and this long-term strategy of the Republicans?

CAMERON COCHEMS: Yeah, absolutely. Project 2025, their intended goal for the TSA is, step one, get rid of the union; step two, privatize the TSA. And they cannot privatize the TSA without getting rid of us. And so, if they can get rid of us, which they’re trying to in court, and we’re fighting back on it, then they can privatize TSA, and then their millionaire buddies can make more money by having contracts and everything like that, which would lead to not better security, not better screening for anyone, but just more possibilities for gaps in the system that terrorists can get through.

AMY GOODMAN: We want to thank you so much for being with us, Cameron Cochems, vice president of AFGE — that’s American Federation of Government Employees — TSA Local 1127, union representing over 4,000 workers, lead TSA officer in Boise, Idaho. Thanks. Cameron.

That does it for our show. Democracy Now! currently accepting applications for our development associate position. Learn more at democracynow.org.

Juan, it’s been wonderful doing this show with you —

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Great to be here again, Amy.

AMY GOODMAN: — here in New York. Can’t wait to have you back — Friday! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.