The long lines at major airports are finally starting to shorten. According to BBC, a new executive order has been signed by President Donald Trump, which will give Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers back-pay for missing their paychecks because of the current partial government shutdown.

The partial government shutdown began after Democrats and Republicans failed to make a budget for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) so the department had to shutdown, causing TSA workers to, again, not get paid.

The long lines at the airports have happened because during a government shutdown, funding is paused, which includes pay for TSA workers. This means during the shutdown, many workers have halted coming in to work. This has slowed TSA customs and security, heightening airport traffic and wait times.

At first, Trump refused to let the republicans and democrats make a bill to fund DHS until they voted to pass the “Save America” act, which would need people to show their identification to show proof of American citizenship.

Today reports that in the past six months, TSA workers have been working without pay over the course of three government shutdowns. The first one came on Oct.1, 2025, lasting 43 days, before ending on Nov. 12, 2025. The second shutdown began on Jan. 31, 2026 and ended 4 days later on Feb. 3, 2026. The third shutdown, which is still ongoing, started on Feb. 14, 2026, and has now become the longest government shutdown in US history.

The partial government shutdown, as of Apr. 3, 2026, has entered its 49th day, according to BBC. The long lines at major airports may have gotten shorter, but the partial government shutdown still is happening.