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Miami International Airport is joining several others across the country in declining to show a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming the ongoing government shutdown on congressional Democrats.

Why it matters: The Trump administration released the video for airing at TSA checkpoints earlier this month, but some transportation authorities have shelved the message out of concern it violates the Hatch Act.

The 1939 law aims to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion.

Worth noting: Airports do regularly display videos from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, though those typically focus on safety or travel procedures, not partisan messaging, The Washington Post reports.

Driving the news: Major airports and the officials that oversee their operations — including in Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, Las Vegas and other cities — confirmed to Axios they will not display Noem's video. 

Greg Chin, spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, said MIA is not playing the video but will continue to play TSA's Real ID awareness video "to be consistent with Miami-Dade County policy regarding messaging within the MIA terminal."

Chin says the Real ID video "provides passengers with important, time-sensitive information directly related to their travel experience and federal requirements."

The video is not playing at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport either, a spokesperson confirmed to Axios, saying "our advertising policy does not permit political messaging to be displayed in our facility."

Catch up quick: Noem's video says that it is the Transportation Security Administration's priority to ensure efficient, pleasant and safe travel — but "Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government."

Noem continues, "because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay." 

She then expresses "hope" that "Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government."

What they're saying: "[I]t's unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that largely echoed Noem's message.

McLaughlin did not directly respond to Axios' request for a response to local authorities opting against showing the video.

State of play: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport spokesperson Jon Brodsky confirmed to Axios that the airport "declined" to share the video, saying "airport policy" does "not permit political content."

A representative of Charlotte Douglas International Airport similarly referenced airport policy for digital content, as well as North Carolina municipal law, saying in a statement to Axios that those restrictions "do not permit the referenced video."

Additionally, the spokesperson added that TSA does not own monitors at the airport's checkpoints. 

The Philadelphia International Airport "does not accept or display materials that are political in nature in its facilities," spokesperson Heather Redfern told Axios' Isaac Avilucea.

A spokesperson for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), which operates Buffalo Niagara International Airport and Niagara Falls International Airport, also confirmed it would not air the video on airport-controlled screens. 

"The NFTA's long standing policy and codified regulations pertaining to public service advertising prohibit politically partisan messaging in its facilities," a spokesperson said.

Westchester County, New York, Executive Ken Jenkins slammed the DHS request to display the video as "inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation's top public officials." He said the county's airport would not play it.

A Port of Seattle spokesperson also said it would not play the video at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport "due to the political nature of the content." 

The big picture: Staffing shortages have plagued airports amid the shutdown. Under a lapse in appropriations, thousands of TSA workers and air traffic controllers must work without pay, per agency shutdown procedures.

Miami airport grounds Kristi Noem government shutdown video

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem speaks on a TV screen at an airport in front of the words "REAL ID."

A monitor displays Real ID information with Kristi Noem at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York on Aug. 19. Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Miami International Airport is joining several others across the country in declining to show a video of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/09/trump-immigration-homeland-security-noem-cities" data-vars-content-id="3e03dbf2-80ae-4b2c-8f2a-13e409a73431" data-vars-headline="Miami airport grounds Kristi Noem government shutdown video" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/09/trump-immigration-homeland-security-noem-cities" target="_self">Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem</a> blaming the ongoing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="government shutdown" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/30/trump-housing-department-shutdown-alert" data-vars-content-id="3e03dbf2-80ae-4b2c-8f2a-13e409a73431" data-vars-headline="Miami airport grounds Kristi Noem government shutdown video" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/30/trump-housing-department-shutdown-alert" target="_self">government shutdown</a> on congressional Democrats.Why it matters: The Trump administration released the video for airing at TSA checkpoints earlier this month, but some transportation authorities have shelved the message out of concern it <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="violates the Hatch Act" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/01/government-shutdown-republicans-trump-administration-hud" data-vars-content-id="3e03dbf2-80ae-4b2c-8f2a-13e409a73431" data-vars-headline="Miami airport grounds Kristi Noem government shutdown video" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/01/government-shutdown-republicans-trump-administration-hud" target="_self">violates the Hatch Act</a>.

Politics

Data: Learning Policy Institute; Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Miami-Dade County Public Schools reportedly could be out more than $45 million in the coming school year following a last-minute halt of federal funding by the Trump administration.

Why it matters: The funds, which were expected to be accessible on July 1, were earmarked for programs that support English-language learners and instruction, migrant education, teacher development and after-school programs, among others.

Florida school districts were already bracing for steep budget cuts for the 2025-26 school year amid declining enrollment driven by the state's growing voucher program.

Catch up quick: On June 30, the administration announced it was withholding billions in federal education funding while a handful of programs were under review.

The funding delay has exacerbated the uncertainty for after-school, summer and other programs, leaving schools in limbo, advocates and policy experts say.

The big picture: An estimated $6.2 billion in K-12 funds across five programs remains unavailable, according to the Learning Policy Institute, which conducts research to improve education policies.

By the numbers: In Florida, the administration is withholding about 15% of the state's federal funding, totaling more than $347 million, per the institute. Plus:

More than $17 million in funding for migrant education,

$56.5 million for English language acquisition programs,

Nearly $76 million for academic enrichment programs,

And nearly $73 million for after-school or summer programs.

What they're saying: The possible cuts impact fragile student populations, Miami-Dade School Board member Steve Gallon told NBC6.

"When you talk about ESOL, you're talking about 83,000 students," he said. "If [funding is] cut, they will be left behind."

The other side: A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget told Axios that no decisions have been made amid "an ongoing programmatic review of education funding."

The spokesperson pointed to initial findings that they said "show that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda."

Trump's K-12 federal funding hold has Miami-Dade County schools out millions

The freeze impacts English-language learners, migrant education and more.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools reportedly could be out more than $45 million in the coming school year following a last-minute <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="halt of federal funding" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/02/trump-administration-withholds-education-fund" data-vars-content-id="87783cdd-e4be-46d7-a513-f39092b3f316" data-vars-headline="Trump&#x27;s K-12 federal funding hold has Miami-Dade County schools out millions" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/02/trump-administration-withholds-education-fund" target="_self">halt of federal funding</a> by the Trump administration.Why it matters: The funds, which were expected to be accessible on July 1, were earmarked for programs that support English-language learners and instruction, migrant education, teacher development and after-school programs, among others.

Avery Lotz

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