US Edition
Record-high passenger wait times at airports, but no deal yet on the 40th day of the shutdown
TSA officers face financial hardships and a 40-50% callout rate amid the shutdown, causing wait times over four hours and more than 480 officers quitting, agency says.
- On Wednesday, Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill reported record-long airport wait times during the 40th day of the Department of Homeland Security funding shutdown, with some major airports experiencing delays exceeding four hours.
- The partial government shutdown began in mid-February, leaving the Department of Homeland Security without routine funding as Republican and Democratic lawmakers remained deadlocked over immigration enforcement policies and mass deportation operations.
- Multiple airports reported 40% to 50% callout rates with more than 480 TSA officer resignations, while assaults on staff surged more than 500% as unpaid workers faced eviction notices and sold plasma to survive.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed Democrats, saying they "want this chaos," while lawmakers warned that deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to airports risks inflaming tensions with local officials.
- Officials warned that depleting Federal Emergency Management Agency funds and four-to-six-month TSA training timelines present a "dire situation" ahead of the June 2026 FIFA World Cup, potentially leaving security gaps if the shutdown persists.
116 Articles
116 Articles
For weeks, there has been a lack of funding for the US Department of Homeland Security - which also causes long waiting times at airports.
Getting on a flight soon? Here are the latest TSA wait times at major airports
As the partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security continues to impact staffing at the Transportation Security Administration, here are the latest security wait times.
Tulsa World
Passengers wait on deal
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURIT
DHS funding standoff risks airport closures
Some US airports may have to close as a partial government shutdown wreaked havoc on air travel. A Homeland Security budget standoff has left airport security employees unpaid for 40 days. Thousands are now not showing up for work, hundreds have quit altogether, and the average wait time at airports has reached record levels. Some airports are recommending passengers arrive twice as early for flights, and downloads of a security fast-track servi…
The Transportation Security Administration may have to shut down operations at some airports if the budget stalemate continues, said the agency’s interim director on Wednesday, even when the record waiting time for travellers did little to end the confrontation over the money struggle in Congress. TSA’s Ha Nguyen McNeill described the growing difficulties faced by unpaid airport workers—accumulating eviction bills and notices, and even donating …
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