Trump Proposes Privatizing TSA and Cutting 9,400 Jobs

President Donald Trump proposed the partial privatization of airport security in his fiscal year 2027 budget, seeking to shift screening operations at small airports from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to private contractors. The plan requires small airports to enroll in the Screening Partnership Program, a move the administration claims will reform a troubled federal agency and yield significant cost savings.

The proposal follows severe travel disruptions caused by a Department of Homeland Security shutdown in February 2026, which left federal TSA officers unpaid for over 40 days and led to massive absenteeism. The administration argues that airports already using private contractors remained unaffected by the shutdown. The broader budget request targets a $1.5 billion reduction in TSA funding—approximately 20% of its budget—and the elimination of over 9,400 positions, representing roughly 14% of the agency's workforce.

The American Federation of Government Employees strongly opposes the initiative, arguing that privatization prioritizes profit over passenger safety and introduces security risks by cutting labor costs and training. Critics also noted that the TSA was privatized prior to the September 11 attacks, which contributed to those failures. The plan aligns with goals previously outlined in Project 2025 by the Heritage Foundation. The proposal must now undergo Congressional hearings and receive legislative approval to proceed.