"I had to skip meals to ensure my children still had food", Tatiana Finlay, an employee of the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) working at Orlando International Airport, told CNN in an interview on 28/3.

Due to skipping meals, she often arrived at the airport hungry. According to Finlay, some of her colleagues had received eviction notices, had their cars repossessed, or lacked sufficient money for daily medication.

Finlay also could not rely on family for support. Her husband and both her in-laws work for the TSA.

The Finlay family is among the approximately 61,000 TSA employees currently working without pay as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) faced a partial shutdown because Congress failed to agree on agency funding.

Under regulations, TSA employees can claim back pay once funding is restored, but this does not resolve immediate financial difficulties. TSA reported that many employees have defaulted on debts, with some even resorting to selling blood to make ends meet.

President Donald Trump last weekend signed an order requiring DHS to pay TSA employees. DHS stated that TSA personnel could begin receiving their wages today, with the expectation that this would alleviate some of their financial pressure after two consecutive missed paychecks.

A TSA employee leaves a food bank in Indiana after receiving food, 23/3. *Photo: AP*

Finlay and many other TSA employees stated that working without pay for 44 days had left them destitute, facing a pile of unpaid bills, mounting debts, and accrued fees.

"Desperate is not enough. It's more like suffocating", said Johnny Jones, a representative for TSA Council 100, a national union for TSA employees affiliated with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

When funding for DHS expired on 14/2, some TSA employees understood they were nearing rock bottom. Many had depleted their savings and borrowed money for expenses late last year during the longest US government shutdown in history.

"Last year, we barely survived on borrowed money. This year, that option is gone", Finlay said, explaining that she and her husband were still repaying that loan, making them ineligible for additional short-term borrowing.

They had also been granted a deferral on mortgage payments during last year's government shutdown, so they no longer qualified to request another. "Even with savings, they eventually run out".

Nearly 500 TSA employees have resigned in the past month. Thousands more call in sick daily, causing a severe shortage of security personnel at airports nationwide, with security checkpoints constantly overwhelmed.

Passengers queue for security screening at LaGuardia Airport, New York, 26/3. *Photo: AP*

Last week, Devin Rayford brought his temporary leave notice to the Memphis city utility company, hoping to defer bill payments.

After his shift at Memphis International Airport, Rayford also drives for a ride-sharing service to cover living expenses. Consequently, he has almost no time left for his daughter.

"It's truly mentally devastating", he said. "Everything is terrible and heavy, especially when explaining it to your children, family, or partner".

Rayford, the local TSA union president, used both union funds and personal money to assist colleagues. He estimated that nearly 50% of his colleagues recently stopped coming to work at the airport. During the peak of the recent spring break, he sometimes had to cover three positions alone at the security screening checkpoint.

Finlay noted that even at their breaking point, many felt ashamed to seek help from food assistance points or family.

"The shame weighs heavily on me, having a job but no pay. As an adult, how can you ask for money, let alone admit you've lost your home, electricity, can't afford medicine, or car payments, while still going to work?", Finlay said.

Even with early payment, some employees said the consequences of eviction, mounting debts, and bad credit scores are severe and cannot be fixed overnight.

TSA employees work at a security checkpoint at Philadelphia International Airport, 27/3. *Photo: AP*

Johnny Jones stated that a colleague at Dallas airport had to pay a 75 USD daily fine to their landlord to avoid eviction. "This is a very large sum".

"We don't have time to recover. Credit cards are maxed out. Credit scores have plummeted. We can't borrow more this time", said Rachel, a female TSA employee.

Rachel recounted that at one point, she left work to pick up her children, then went straight to the WIC office, a federal food assistance program for women with young children, to seek help for her family. "It means I have to receive government assistance while working for that same government".

A female TSA employee in Chicago said she initially chose this job for its stability and health insurance benefits. However, two consecutive shutdowns left her unable to pay medical bills or buy prescription medicine.

"It makes me not want to stay in this job anymore. I've applied everywhere. I even asked my old workplace if they would take me back", the 25-year-old employee said.

Each day, she submits 5 to 8 job applications but has yet to receive a positive response. A Bath and Body Works store replied to her application, but said she was overqualified for that retail position.

Aaron Barker, AFGE leader in Georgia, warned that more TSA employees would leave in the coming period. According to him, the negative image created by the shutdown will make it difficult for TSA to recruit replacements for those who have resigned.

"No one wants to continue living in such an unreasonable state of uncertainty and stress, when they are not at fault", Barker said.

Duc Trung (According to CNN, AP, USA Today)