Indy TSA Agents Quit as Government Remains Partially Shutdown

INDIANAPOLIS — Some Indianapolis TSA agents have recently quit as the partial government shutdown continues.

Kevin Smith, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 618, told WISH-TV that about half a dozen TSA agents have left the agency since last month and more departures could be coming soon. Workers are still trying to recover financially from the record-long 43-day shutdown last fall.

“A lot of my officers are trying to pay back the loans that they took out to survive the first,” Smith said. “We had two or three paychecks and then boom, here we are again.”

The U.S. federal government has been partially shut down twice in 2026. In both occurrences, Congress has argued about reforms to federal immigration enforcement, with Senate Democrats blocking funding to the Department of Homeland Security.

While most DHS law enforcement workers are still getting paid during the shutdown because of money from the Big Beautiful Bill Act, federal employees with other agencies like FEMA and TSA are not.

“A lot of the general public has no clue that we’re even shut down, that we’re not getting paid,” said Smith.

Friday will be the first full paycheck the agents will miss, according to Smith, as spring travel picks up at the airport this week.

“The 14th will be the day that it’ll start hitting that there’s no paycheck and we’re expected to be here whether we’re getting paid or not,” he said.

About 240 TSA agents currently work at Indianapolis International Airport. Agents working at the smaller airports in Evansville, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, and South Bend bring the statewide total to nearly 370.