Denver International Airport asks public for donations to pay TSA workers as shutdown continues

Bruce Finley, The Denver Post on Mar 12, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

DENVER — Denver International Airport officials are appealing to the public to donate grocery store and gas gift cards to help support Transportation Security Administration officers ordered to work without pay during the partial federal government shutdown.

It’s the second time in five months that DIA has campaigned for support to help sustain government employees at the airport during shutdowns.

At the airport, “federal employees are working tirelessly to ensure our airport operates efficiently and safely without getting paid,” DIA Chief Executive Phil Washington said in a statement. “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.”

The donations are intended “to help make this moment a little more bearable” for the airport’s federal workers, Washington said.

DIA officials said they’re seeking donated grocery store and gas gift card donations, only in denominations of $10 or $20, ideally from stores like King Soopers, Safeway, Walmart, Costco, and Target that sell both gas and food. Visa gift cards cannot be accepted.

Collection bins and secure lock boxes have been set up in DIA’s Great Hall in the main passenger terminal and at the “final approach” cellphone lot outside the airport. Airport officials said the campaign will continue until the shutdown ends.

In November, DIA officials requested a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration to allow the use of airport revenues to support FAA air traffic controllers, TSA screeners, Customs and Border Protection agents, and others among the 1,800 federal workers ordered to work without pay during a 43-day shutdown. The FAA had ordered flight reductions. DIA officials planned to seek reimbursement from the federal government later. That shutdown ended before airport officials tried to use aviation revenues for this purpose.

The latest shutdown began Feb. 14 and affects the Department of Homeland Security, due to a political battle over restrictions on immigration operations following Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations that killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

TSA passenger screening operations suffered last weekend at airports in Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans, where thousands of travelers waited in lines for up to three hours. DIA travelers so far have been spared major disruptions, with security wait times on Thursday morning mostly under 22 minutes. But airport officials are bracing for a spring break surge with more than 1.3 million travelers moving through security checkpoints.

On Wednesday, senators — both Republicans and Democrats — vented frustrations with a lack of progress in funding the DHS. The impact on Americans enduring long lines at some airports is expected to intensify as the impasse enters its fourth week.

_____