Denver Airport resorting to asking people to donate gift cards to pay staff

Denver International Airport has asked members of the public to donate grocery store and gas gift cards to support Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees who are working without pay amid a partial U.S. government shutdown.

In a news release on March 11, the airport said it was seeking $10 and $20 gift cards to help TSA officers cover basic living costs while federal funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains unresolved. 

TSA employees are classified as essential workers and are required to continue working during shutdowns, even when paychecks are delayed or halted.

Newsweek has contacted Denver International Airport for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Airport officials have said the donation drive is intended to ease immediate financial stress for workers who must still commute, buy food and meet household expenses despite not being paid. The appeal highlights the real‑world impact of federal budget standoffs on frontline workers responsible for airport security, particularly as the U.S. enters a busy spring break travel period.

Because TSA officers fall under DHS, employees have missed paychecks while continuing to screen passengers and secure airports. Similar shutdowns in recent years have led to staffing shortages, resignations and long security lines at major U.S. airports.

What To Know

Denver International Airport has said it is accepting only grocery store and gas gift cards in $10 or $20 denominations, noting that federal ethics rules limit what assistance federal employees can receive during a shutdown.

Visa gift cards and cash donations are not permitted. According to airport officials, the restrictions are designed to comply with federal regulations governing gifts to government employees. Donation drop‑off locations are set up inside the airport’s Jeppesen Terminal and at the Final Approach cellphone lot.

Air passengers across the country are facing long wait times as the partial government shutdown has disrupted staffing at security checkpoints. Other airports have taken similar steps—such as Seattle‑Tacoma International Airport, which announced it had opened a food pantry for unpaid federal workers, including TSA and Customs and Border Protection employees.

What People Are Saying

Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said in a statement: “Once again, DEN’s federal employees are working tirelessly to ensure our airport operates efficiently and safely without getting paid. TSA employees just missed their first paycheck, and as we enter a busy Spring Break travel period, we want to do what we can to ease the stress of this moment. That’s why we are calling on the public, our passengers, and other airport employees to donate grocery store and gas gift cards to help make this moment a little more bearable for these federal workers.”

Republican Senator Katie Boyd Britt of Alabama wrote on social media: “Daily reminder that Democrats blocked funding for HOMELAND SECURITY including the Coast Guard, Secret Service, and TSA. ICE and CBP are still funded and will continue to deport criminal illegal aliens.”

The White House said in a news release on March 9: “As Radical Left Democrats drag the Department of Homeland Security shutdown into its 24th day, everyday Americans are paying the price. Now, as TSA officers work without paychecks for the third time in nearly six months, crippling staffing shortages and hours-long security lines are gripping airports as millions of families head out for spring break.”

What Happens Next

The donation effort is likely to continue until Congress reaches a funding agreement and DHS operations are fully restored.

Lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at preventing TSA employees from going unpaid during future shutdowns, though no permanent solution has been enacted. Until funding is resolved, TSA officers are expected to remain on the job without pay, relying on back pay once the shutdown ends.

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