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Kristi Noem Announces $1B TSA Modernization Plan and $10,000 Bonuses for Shutdown-Era Workers

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced a $1 billion plan to modernize TSA screening equipment nationwide and confirmed $10,000 bonuses for select TSA employees who worked through the recent 43-day shutdown. The funding will buy new scanners, X-ray machines and additional Advanced Imaging Technology, with deployments starting in the coming months. Separately, DOT said 776 air traffic controllers and technicians will each receive $10,000 for their service during the shutdown. Noem praised frontline workers for maintaining safety and security throughout the disruption.

11:59 AM, 11/24/2025Security
Kristi Noem Announces $1B TSA Modernization Plan and $10,000 Bonuses for Shutdown-Era Workers

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday announced a $1 billion, nationwide program to modernize Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening equipment and said select TSA employees who worked through the recent 43-day federal government shutdown will receive $10,000 bonuses.

Speaking at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport in Minnesota, Noem praised TSA staff for their service during the shutdown, noting that many employees took on extra shifts and cared for colleagues while maintaining security standards and passenger safety.

"What we saw during that time period was remarkable," Noem said. "We saw people who recognized that their purpose was to serve people—continuing to show up for work, sometimes taking on extra shifts and taking care of other individuals, while keeping people safe and our security systems and standards high."

Noem said the $10,000 payments are intended to reward those who went "above and beyond" during the shutdown. "We will be paying $10,000 to each of the individuals behind us—recognizing that they are examples," she said, adding that the department will continue training employees to meet the same standards in future crises.

The $1 billion modernization initiative will fund new scanning and X-ray machines as well as additional Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) equipment to improve accuracy, efficiency and overall airport security. Noem said it has been roughly a decade, perhaps longer, since comparable investments were made and that new equipment will be deployed over the coming months.

Noem first referenced the TSA funding during remarks at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas the previous day, saying the money would support "new technology and advancements in security systems."

Separately, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that 776 air traffic controllers and technicians who worked during the shutdown would each receive $10,000. DOT Secretary Sean Duffy praised those workers for maintaining safe operations during the shutdown; in a departmental statement he said these employees "never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe throughout the shutdown." The statement also included a partisan remark praising the administration's support for those workers.

DHS had not immediately provided an additional comment.

What to expect next: Deployment of upgraded TSA screening equipment is planned to begin in the coming months, and targeted bonus payments are being processed for eligible airport security and aviation personnel who served during the shutdown.

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