For more than 30 days now, TSA employees have been working without pay. That has caused more than 400 TSA workers to quit. Others are calling out sick in record numbers. Those shortages have been triggering hour-long security lines.

The head of TSA operations in San Diego said the partial government shutdown is not only impacting TSA lines at airports, but also his livelihood and the lives of many federal employees who are experiencing a lot financial pressure.

“Absolute shock because that’s just the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard yet out of this,” Robert Mack said.

This is how Robert Mack is responding to President Trump’s announcement on Truth Social to send ICE agents to airports on Monday as Senate leaders failed again to reach a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Mack oversees TSA operations at San Diego International Airport and is the Chief Steward with the American Federation of Government Employees 1260.

He joined the agency in the wake of the 9/11 attacks because he felt called to fulfill a civic duty.

“My heart spoke to me. You have an opportunity to defend your homeland your homefront,” Mack said.  

But now, the career he once considered promising is bringing him and many other TSA employees financial strain and instability.

“We’re all hurting. Literally, checking accounts are all wiped out. We haven’t recovered from the last two that we’ve had before,” Mack said.

Mack is among the thousands of TSA employees working without pay since funding for DHS ran out last month.

Democrats vowed to withhold funding until Republicans agree to new reforms for ICE.

On Saturday, Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic bill that would have funded only TSA, but not the rest of DHS.

President Donald Trump then warned on social media that if TSA is not funded by Monday, “ICE is ready to go,” and will provide airport security.

And their work would include the “immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into the country.”

“I think he’s wrong completely… there are really good immigrants here, they’ve been here for 20, 30, 40, 50 years… they pay their taxes and they’re good people,” Barnard Jourdain, who was travelling through San Diego said.

As agents continue to struggle without a check and the political stalemate continues, Mack anticipates more TSA employees will call out in the coming days or move on from what they once considered a promising career.

“My duty is still the same, but at the end, if I can’t put food in my stomach, I can’t keep a roof over my head, the people I’m supposed to be taking care of are failing me,” Mack said.

NBC 7 San Diego reached out to TSA for a comment and is awaiting a response.

PEORIA, Ariz. — Ty France is officially a Padre again.

The corner infielder has been informed he will be on the opening-day roster.

“Still processing a little bit,” he said. “It was a whirlwind, for sure, but I’m excited to be a part of this group and kind of see where things go. … The journey I’ve had and the run I’ve had, it was special. And to be back here where it all started and back with this group of guys, I’m definitely excited about it. This is what we set out to do this offseason. And fortunately, that happened.”

France will be introduced along with the rest of the team before Thursday’s season-opening game against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park. He was also on the Padres at the start of the 2020 season, but there were no fans in the stands due to the pandemic.

The Padres drafted France in the 34th round out of San Diego State in 2015, and he made his major league debut with them in 2019. He was part of a seven-player trade at the deadline in 2020 that also sent relief pitcher Andres Muñoz to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for catcher Austin Nola and two relief pitchers.

France was an All-Star in 2022 and played for the Seattle Mariners until 2024, when they traded him to the Cincinnati Reds at the deadline. He signed with the Minnesota Twins last season and ended up playing in the World Series after he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline.

He has hit .262/.334/.400 in 3,309 plate career appearances. No active player has been hit by more pitches than France has (126). He hit .257/.320/.360 and won the Gold Glove for American League first basemen in 2025.

He signed a minor-league deal with the Padres in February. As a free agent with six years of service time, France had the option to request his release on Saturday if he was not assured he would be on the major league roster.

France, whose salary for 2026 is $1.35 million, hit .318 (14-for-44) with two home runs, four doubles and two walks this spring.

The roster spot for an extra infielder was available because Sung-Mun Song will begin the season on the injured list with an oblique strain. Song has been hitting in the cage and could get live at-bats in the coming days, so the Padres will have another decision to make when he is ready to be activated.

PEORIA, Ariz. — A handful of roster decisions loom.

One of particular local interest could be determined late Friday night and will certainly be decided by Saturday morning.

Ty France, who played at San Diego State and began his career with the Padres, can opt out of his contract Saturday if he has not been assured he will be on the active roster at the start of the season.

That forces the Padres to choose, ostensibly, between France and Jose Miranda by Saturday. Both are corner infielders. Both have major league experience. Both have had excellent springs.

The difference may come down to the fact Miranda can be sent to the minor leagues without his consent.

The risk for the Padres is that adding France to the roster guarantees him $1.35 million. He could agree before the season that the Padres could option him at some point. But if he has another team willing to put him on its big-league roster, he would not have motivation to agree to such a stipulation.

The roster spot is open because infielder Sung-Mun Song will begin the season on the injured list after aggravating an oblique injury two weeks ago. Song is swinging in the cage and could get in a game before spring ends and join the team not long after the season starts.

France, who won a Gold Glove at first base and batted .257/.320/.360 for the Twins and Blue Jays in 2025, entered Friday tied for the team lead with 14 hits this spring. Miranda had 13 hits.

“The biggest thing was just coming into camp and showing that I was myself and healthy and playing my style of baseball,” said France, who was an All-Star with the Mariners in 2022. “I feel like I did a good job of that. So it’s out of my control now.”

Rotation equation

Starting pitcher Walker Buehler, who like France has more than six years of service time and can opt out today is he is not assured of being on the active roster, has made the team.

This was determined after he displayed a varied and effective pitch mix while allowing two runs on eight hits over 8⅔ innings in his past two Cactus League starts.

Buehler and Germán Márquez are expected to man the final two spots in the rotation to begin the season – after incumbent starters Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Randy Vásquez.

Buehler will be guaranteed $1.5 million in 2026 with the possibility to make as much as $4 million based on time on the active roster. Marquez signed a major league deal that guarantees him $1.75 million with the potential to make as much as $5 million.

Bench, bullpen

The other pending decisions revolve around one bench spot and what might be one spot in the bullpen.

Indications from those familiar with the Padres’ deliberations are that outfielder Bryce Johnson is the favorite to make the team over Jase Bowen. Johnson hit .342 with a.383 on-base percentage for the Padres last season and is on the 40-man roster. Bowen signed as a minor-league free agent and excited the Padres this spring. They do expect he will be called up at some point.

With left-hander Yuki Matsui expected to begin the season on the injured list and Jason Adam trending toward being ready for opening day, there could be just one bullpen job available on the opening-day roster.

That competition appears to be down to Ron Marinaccio, Bradgley Rodriguez and Logan Gillaspie.

Gillaspie is a “bridge” relief option. And while the Padres have all but made it official that left-hander Kyle Hart will occupy that role to start the season, they might want extra protection early in the season as starting pitchers are ramping up. However, Marinaccio can also go multiple innings and is out of options, meaning he would have to be placed on waivers if he is not on the roster.

Rodriguez, 22, is a hard thrower who made his major league debut last season and has alternately been highly impressive and struggled with his command this spring.

If the Padres decide to slow-play Adam, that means two relievers can win a spot.

Notable

• Griffin Canning, signed by the Padres in February, pitched one inning against Single-A players for the Mariners on Friday morning. It was his second time facing batters and first time doing so in a game setting since undergoing surgery to repair a torn Achilles in June. Canning is expected to be able to join the rotation by May.
• The Padres are the only team among the 30 in MLB to have not named an opening-day starter. It is almost certainly Nick Pivetta, who was far and away their best pitcher in 2025.
• First pitch for Sunday’s Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks has been pushed back to 6:10 p.m. PT due to the heat. The forecasted high for Sunday is 100 degrees, which would make it the coolest day since Tuesday. The Padres’ only day game in that span is Saturday.