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Tyler Perry found a workaround after he was blocked from handing out cash to struggling TSA workers amid the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
Perry, 56, returned to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, where he gifted 250 TSA officers $1,000 gift cards — totaling $250,000, according to People.
The director’s initial plan to distribute money directly to officers fell through due to federal rules that prohibit on-duty TSA agents from accepting gifts.
Instead, the billionaire media mogul shifted approach — providing Visa gift cards that could still offer meaningful relief to workers who have gone six weeks without pay as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown drags on.
“It went through the legal process through TSA,” Georgia TSA president Aaron Barker told the outlet.
Sources told 11Alive the envelopes brought visible relief, with many workers expressing gratitude for the unexpected support as financial pressure continues to mount.
On Thursday, Perry had shown up intending to personally hand out cash to help ease the burden on TSA officers struggling to cover basic expenses.
While he wasn’t able to follow through, he spent time speaking with agents, taking photos and thanking them for continuing to work through the crisis — a gesture that still boosted morale.
A DHS spokesperson told the Associated Press that TSA officers are not allowed to accept gifts at screening checkpoints.
However, Barker said that donations can be routed through worker organizations and distributed to members.
Perry previously shelled out $1.5 million during a 2025 shutdown to help Atlanta families cut off from SNAP benefits.
Security lines at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport have grown significantly, with wait times often reaching up to five hours and, in some cases, extending into baggage claim areas.
Travelers are being advised to arrive four to five hours before their scheduled departures to avoid missing flights.
The situation in Washington remains unresolved. House Republicans on Friday night advanced a stopgap funding measure for DHS after rejecting a Senate-passed bill that did not include immigration enforcement funding.
The move is expected to extend the six-week partial government shutdown, as the House proposal — which would fund DHS for 60 days — faces slim chances in the Senate.
President Donald Trump also signed an executive order Friday authorizing DHS to pay TSA workers during the shutdown, a step officials say could help ease long security lines at airports.
A DHS spokesperson said in a subsequent statement: “TSA officers should begin seeing paychecks as early as Monday, March 30.”
In the meantime, Perry’s revised effort has provided at least some immediate help for those still waiting on Washington.
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