Passengers across the US are facing severe disruptions at airports due to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which has led to staffing shortages as security employees go without pay. Travelers have reported hours-long queues, missed flights, and cancelled trips, with many blaming the Trump administration for what they describe as a manufactured crisis.
Boston-based passenger John Hildebrandt told the Guardian that it took three hours to clear US customs in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. 'Absolutely insane,' he said, adding that he had never experienced such motionless queues in 30 years of business travel. He credited a persistent transport dispatcher for advising him to arrive three and a half hours early, which allowed him to make his flight.
Major airports nationwide have seen security lines stretch for hours due to the funding impasse over immigration enforcement. The shutdown has prompted nearly 500 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to quit since it began last month. In response, President Donald Trump has deployed ICE agents to airports to assist with security, a move that has drawn widespread condemnation.
The impact on travelers has been immediate. Bronwyn Fryer, a 72-year-old writer from Montpelier, Vermont, cancelled a trip to California, citing the queues and the presence of ICE at airports. 'The thought of encountering ICE at airports was the nail in the coffin,' she said. In Florida, personal assistant Kristin Campos missed her international flight to Costa Rica after waiting four hours in a TSA line at Miami International Airport.
Families have also faced financial strain. A Tennessee-based mother rebooked her daughter's spring break travel to avoid Atlanta, Georgia, where lines of over five hours were reported. The rebooking cost over $600. 'We still plan to drop her off three hours early for a domestic flight, which is ridiculous,' she said. At smaller airports like Tweed New Haven in Connecticut, confusion and delays have compounded, with one traveler describing the situation as 'chaos' and vowing not to fly until problems are resolved.
Another passenger, John in Texas, abandoned Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport after finding a line with no end and a wait of at least five hours. He drove to Houston's Hobby Airport, where the wait was zero minutes. 'This is gross mismanagement,' he said, calling for IAH to be shut down until sorted. The shutdown continues to disrupt air travel, with no immediate resolution in sight.
