Kristi Noem stops in Twin Cities to thank TSA for work during shutdown

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stopped at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport on Sunday to honor TSA employees who worked without pay during the nation’s longest federal shutdown, and to announce new technology investments and $10,000 bonuses for front-line staff.

MSP has roughly 600 Transportation Security Agency (TSA) employees, though only a small fraction received bonuses. Noem said workers are nominated by their supervisors and co-workers, with those recommendations moving through TSA field leadership before being forwarded to DHS for final review.

Noem, speaking in a gate area flanked by TSA officers, said the 43-day shutdown tested federal workers across the country but that aviation security remained intact because employees “showed up when people were counting on you.”

The officers Noem recognized described how the shutdown’s strain bled into the most personal parts of their lives.

Alex Garcia, a former Marine who has spent 14 years with TSA, said he missed speaking at his nephew’s Veterans Day program and postponed his 10th wedding anniversary celebration.

“I sacrificed a lot of personal time with my family and friends,” he said, adding that his commitment to public service started in the Marine Corps and carried into his DHS career.

Noem said Garcia routinely picked up extra shifts and “did it with a great attitude.”

Jonathan Pringle, who joined TSA less than a year ago, supports a large household of 13 children — seven at home — and two grandchildren. His family is still grieving the loss of their eldest child, Noem said, and spent the shutdown stretching savings to stay afloat. The bonus will help the family catch up on their mortgage and other bills.

“These families carried the weight of this shutdown,” Noem said. “Part of DHS’s strength is taking care of the people who take care of this country.”

Noem also announced that DHS and TSA will invest in new X-ray and scanning equipment at the airport — the largest such upgrade she said it has seen in “over a decade, maybe 15 years.” The technology is intended to speed screening and strengthen detection standards. Installation will roll out over the coming months.

Asked about President Donald Trump’s announcement that he intends to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis — and his statement on Truth Social calling Minnesota “a hub of fraudulent money laundering” — Noem said DHS will “follow the process that’s in law” to reevaluate the designation.

“TPS is a program that was always meant to be temporary,” she said, noting that Somalia’s protections have been in place for more than 30 years. She added that decisions about whether conditions in Somalia still justify the program are “not under the purview that I have the latitude to weigh in on.”