Day 42 of the US Government Shutdown, Danger Threatens 2026 World Cup Supporters

JAKARTA - The closure of part of the United States Government (US) operations, alias shutdown, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has disrupted the security sector in the Uncle Sam's country.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers headed by the DHS are the most affected. Thousands of TSA employees who check the security of passengers at US airports every day have to experience salary delays.

In a joint meeting with the US House of Representatives committee, senior DHS official Ha Nguyen McNeill said this prolonged shutdown was high risk for cybersecurity, disaster relief, coast guard operations, and the security of the 2026 World Cup in the US, which will be attended by global supporters on June 11-July 12.

"We anticipate a significant increase in passenger volume as fans travel through the airport to watch the game," McNeill said at a meeting on Wednesday local time, reported NBC News, Friday, March 27.

McNeill added that the partial shutdown of the US government since February 2025 has also caused long lines at airport security checkpoints and flight cancellations across the country.

"Even if the TSA recruits new officers after the DHS shutdown ends, those officers won't be able to work at checkpoints until well after the World Cup ends," McNeill said.

Furthermore, officials from the Coast Guard sector, the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency admitted that their employees faced severe economic consequences because they were not paid or had salary delays.

The officials said many of their employees were having trouble paying their housing rents, were unable to support their families, and were accumulating debt due to the burden of installment fees that had come due.

The shutdown of the US Government, which entered the 40th day when this meeting was held or the 42nd day on Friday, March 27, has affected the DHS. However, the federal law enforcement agency under the authority of the DHS, namely Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is not affected.

Multiple sources told NBC News that DHS employee performance, particularly TSA, has further deteriorated due to the real-world impact of the third U.S. government shutdown in less than a year.