A source says every envelope his team hands out brings a big smile and some relief.ATLANTA — Tyler Perry’s team is back at Hartsfield-Jackson, this time with generous gift cards for TSA workers.
Friday is payday, but TSA workers have gone without a salary for six weeks due to the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security.
But today, TSA workers at least get a gift of support from Atlanta’s world-famous media mogul. A source says every envelope his team hands out brings a big smile and some relief.
We told you exclusively that Tyler Perry went to the airport on Thursday with a significant amount of money, hoping to hand it out to help TSA workers struggling to feed their families. However, federal rules don’t allow them to accept money. He thanked the workers and took pictures with them.
Now Perry found a loophole, a source saying it’s gift cards.
Sources say the gesture was a huge morale booster.
On Thursday, Perry intended to hand out money to ease some financial strain on workers during the government shutdown. Even though this generous gesture would help TSA officers immensely during the government shutdown, they were not allowed to accept it because of certain restrictions. Because of this, Perry did not hand out money directly. Sources said that even the gesture boosted worker morale on Thursday.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that TSA officers are prohibited from accepting gifts at screening locations, according to a report from the Associated Press. However, Aaron Barker, president of the AFGE, said TSA officer unions don’t have the same restrictions and can accept donations to distribute to their members, AP reports.
11Alive was also told that Perry spoke with workers and thanked them for their efforts.
TSA workers have been receiving assistance from staff at Hartsfield-Jackson and were provided with lunch from a metro Atlanta restaurant.
This is not the first time Perry has helped those in need during the government shutdown. In 2025, he donated $1.5 million to Atlanta groups to help families without SNAP benefits due to the shutdown.
President Donald Trump on Friday signed a promised executive action that will pay Transportation Security Administration employees, after a deal that sought to do the same stalled in Congress.