🔗 Share this article

Several major global airports across the US, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have chosen to block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Legal Concerns Cited by Airport Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have declined to display the footage at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene state and federal law, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars government workers from participating in partisan political activity.

“Democratic legislators refuse to finance the federal government, and as a result, many of our operations are affected, and most of our TSA employees are unpaid,” Noem said in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “would not agree to airing the PSA in its present version, as we believe the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this content would violate state law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, saying in a statement that “the video's message contained political messaging that did not align with the impartial, informational nature of the PSAs typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that forbids political activities by federal employees to ensure that government programs remain unbiased.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “refused to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, also declined, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport said that state local regulations and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are designated for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a public comment, described the video “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA makes political the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive said, noting that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a statement, adding that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the importance of reopening the government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was working to identify methods to assist federal employees working without pay during the shutdown.