Passengers across the United States have faced hours-long security lines and missed flights due to a Department of Homeland Security shutdown that has left Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers unpaid. Nearly 500 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began last month, leading to severe staffing shortages at airports nationwide.
Travelers reported waiting up to five hours in security queues. John Hildebrandt, a Boston-based passenger returning from St Thomas, said it took three hours to clear US customs. “Absolutely insane,” he told the Guardian. “I’ve never experienced motionless queues like this in 30 years of business travel.”
Some passengers abandoned airports altogether. One traveler in Texas left Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport after finding a five-hour wait, instead flying from Hobby Airport with no delay. Others cancelled trips entirely. Bronwyn Fryer, a writer from Vermont, scrapped a planned trip to California, citing long lines and the presence of ICE agents at airports.
The Trump administration deployed ICE agents to assist with security, a move that drew condemnation. A Tennessee mother rebooked her daughter’s flight from Atlanta to Panama City at a cost of $600 to avoid five-hour security lines. “This is a manufactured crisis by the Trump administration,” said a Connecticut traveler who described chaos at Tweed New Haven Airport.
At smaller airports, confusion compounded delays. A Connecticut-based traveler said the airport was “trying to get more travelers through than it can accommodate,” adding that TSA shortages made the situation worse. “We will not travel by air in the future, or until the problems are resolved,” they said.
