With TSA Workers Unpaid, Airport Asks Travelers to Help

Denver International Airport is appealing to travelers for help once again, this time asking for grocery and gas gift cards to support federal workers on duty without pay. With the Department of Homeland Security still without funding, TSA officers continue working during the government shutdown. To assist them, the airport has set up a donation drive requesting $10 and $20 gift cards from stores such as King Soopers, Safeway, Walmart, Costco, and Target. Visa gift cards are not accepted; the focus is on cards that can cover both groceries and fuel, according to the Denver Post.

Gift card collection bins and locked drop boxes have been placed in the main terminal’s Great Hall and at the “final approach” cellphone lot. The campaign will continue for the duration of the shutdown. This marks the second time in five months that the airport has launched such an effort. Earlier, during a prior government standoff, Denver sought approval to use its own revenue to support roughly 1,800 federal workers who were not receiving pay.

So far, security lines at Denver have remained relatively short, usually under 22 minutes, even as other major airports report long waits. However, airport officials caution that with over 1.3 million passengers expected for spring break, delays could grow.

Union representatives expressed gratitude for the donations but emphasized that gift cards are only a temporary fix. “It’s a big ask to ask these officers to show up again and again to work with no paycheck,” said Angela Grana of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1127, which represents TSA workers in Colorado. “They are forced to choose between upholding the oath they took and supporting their families. It’s a difficult choice, and not everyone can do it.”

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