Sen. John Fetterman is warning that the ongoing Department of Homeland Security funding standoff has left airport security preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup "significantly behind," with the tournament now less than three months away and no resolution in sight.
The Pennsylvania Democrat, who has made a habit of bucking his party on immigration and security issues, urged his own caucus to end the impasse that has dragged on for roughly 40 days and sent hundreds of TSA officers heading for the exits.
"I could never justify this from the start, but here we are day 39, 40? It's like, how long are you gonna continue that?"
Funding for DHS first ran dry on Feb. 14. Since then, the agency has hemorrhaged personnel, airport wait times have ballooned, and the clock has continued ticking toward one of the largest international sporting events ever held on American soil. The FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11.
The numbers tell the story plainly enough. DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis said in a press release that 366 TSA officers have already left the force, Fox News reported. Separate reporting indicated that TSA callouts have hit Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans hardest, with 450 officers quitting nationwide.
"Because of this DHS shutdown, Americans are facing HOURS long waits at airports across the country. Democrats must reopen DHS now."
This is the second time TSA workers have faced a funding lapse in just three months. The agency itself acknowledged the staffing damage may be irreversible on the World Cup timeline:
"Even if TSA were to hire new officers upon the conclusion of the DHS shutdown, those officers would not be able to work on the checkpoint until well after the World Cup has concluded."
Millions of international visitors and American fans are expected to flood through airports this summer. The agency responsible for screening them is losing bodies it cannot replace in time. That's not a political talking point. It's an operational reality.
The Senate advanced most DHS funding in the early hours of Friday morning, but the proposal carried a poison pill: it excluded funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
House Speaker Mike Johnson read directly from the bill's text and did not mince words:
"This gambit that was done last night is a joke. I'm quite convinced — it can't be that every Senate Republican read the language of this bill. It's pretty alarming. It says, quote: 'The contents printed under the headings of this bill: U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and border security operations… an amount specified in the final bill shall be zero.'"
"We're not doing that," Johnson added.
The logic Democrats are asking Americans to accept runs something like this: fund DHS to keep airports safe, but strip the funding for the agency that actually enforces immigration law at the interior. Reopen the department, but gut the enforcement arm. Security for travelers, but not for borders.
It's not a serious proposal. It's a hostage negotiation dressed up as a compromise.
Late Friday night, the House advanced its own package, which would extend DHS funding at current levels for two months. That bill is widely expected to stall in the Senate.
President Trump signed an executive order on Friday aimed at funding TSA worker salaries. DHS has also already received $75 billion through Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025, funding operations at least through 2026. House Republicans have raised questions about whether those funds can legally cover all of ICE's operations, but the money exists.
The core standoff remains unchanged. Democrats wanted to use the DHS funding fight to extract reforms targeting the administration's immigration enforcement. They got a prolonged shutdown instead, one that is hurting the very workers and travelers they claim to champion.
Fetterman has described himself as "not a progressive." On this issue, he sounds more like the only Democrat willing to state the obvious.
"Preparations are significantly behind and now we're 77 days out and this is still shut down."
He pointed to the sheer scale of what's coming: "millions of people from abroad coming and millions of Americans joining these two." The World Cup will test American infrastructure, logistics, and security at every level. The agency responsible for airport checkpoints is currently operating with a shrinking workforce and no stable funding.
Fetterman urged members of his own party to focus on the country's outstanding travel needs. It's a modest ask, really. Fund the department. Screen the passengers. Prepare for the tournament.
The fact that this requires a Democrat to publicly pressure other Democrats tells you everything about where the party's priorities actually sit. They would rather zero out ICE funding and let airport lines stretch for hours than pass a clean bill. The leverage they thought they had is now measured in quit notices and boarding delays.
Every day this drags on, the math gets worse. TSA cannot train replacements fast enough to staff checkpoints by June 11. The agency said so itself. Officers who leave during a funding lapse don't come back when the lights turn on again. They find other jobs. They move on.
Democrats built this shutdown around a bet that the public would blame the administration. Instead, a member of their own caucus is telling them to fold. The World Cup arrives in 73 days, whether Congress is ready or not.
The fans will show up. The question is whether anyone will be there to screen them.
