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Several key international airports across the US, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have opted to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from airing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Issues Cited by Airport Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to broadcast the video content at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which forbids government workers from participating in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress decline to finance the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “would not agree to playing the video in its present version, as we maintain the federal law explicitly forbids use of public assets for political aims.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from supporting or criticizing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this video would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, noting in a statement that “the video's message included political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational nature of the PSAs usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that bans political activities by federal employees to ensure that government programs stay unbiased.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to stay “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the video in question.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any screens at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are designated for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, called the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and out of line with the standards we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader said, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

DHS Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's wording to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was working to identify ways to assist government workers working without pay during the shutdown.