Travelers could face even longer wait times as the Transportation Security Administration is suffering from staffing shortages during the shutdown.
ATLANTA — When Ivan Padilla stepped out of an Uber at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Friday morning, he thought the security line ended near the entrance.
“It was right outside that door the whole time after I checked in,” he said. “It’s pretty crazy.”
Padilla, who arrived about two hours before his flight, quickly realized he had underestimated the wait time.
“I was sleeping with my alarm on,” he said. “[But]earlier this week, I was in Boston and SFO (San Francisco). I travel a lot for work, and those airports all seem to be fine. No lines. So I took a risk in a way. I don’t know, let’s see what real social media is like, you know? … I definitely should have come a little earlier.”
Scenes like this are becoming increasingly common at airports across the country as the Transportation Security Administration grapples with staffing shortages due to the partial government shutdown.
Today is the last day for Congress to pass legislation to fund the Transportation Security Administration before it goes into its previously scheduled spring break. The Senate passed a bill overnight that would fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, but it still needs to pass the House of Representatives before it can be sent to the president.
Ha Nguyen McNeil, the agency’s acting director, said airports across the country had already been thrown into chaos over spring break, with “longest wait times in TSA history, with some waiting times exceeding four and a half hours.”
Testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee on March 25, McNeil said that more than 480 TSA employees have retired since the partial government shutdown that began in February (the third of the fiscal year), and that “at multiple major airports, 40% to 50% of employees are still being called in because they cannot afford to come to work.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were dispatched to airports across the country this week to ease wait times, but lines often remain long.
How far in advance should I arrive at the airport? How to check TSA wait times
Ruth Auld said: “Always arrive early, especially if you can delay your travel time.” I think it will be a little easier in the afternoon.
Normally, travelers are advised to arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights, but during the closure many are advised to arrive even earlier.
“All things considered, we’re moving at a pretty decent pace,” Darick Sanchez, who was on ATL’s PreCheck line, told USA TODAY. “I know it’s still going to take some time, but yeah, I mean, I don’t think there’s that many complaints.”
TSA is not updating wait times on the MyTSA mobile app during the government shutdown, but some airports are posting wait times on their websites and social media.
Airports such as Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport post estimated wait times on their websites. Still, most airports do not offer this service and instead advise travelers to arrive several hours before their scheduled departure time.
Independent websites such as Airport Insight and TSA Wait Times provide real-time information about security wait times at airports.
Mr. Sanchez, who is bound for Dallas, estimated he had been waiting for “an hour and a half” around 8 a.m.
Can I change a flight I’ve already booked?
Depending on the airline and fare class, travelers may be able to rebook future flights to avoid the current situation at the airport.
Delta Air Lines is offering additional flexibility for travelers departing from Atlanta with a waiver through March 30. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the world’s busiest airport in terms of passenger numbers and is a major hub for Delta Air Lines. It was also one of the areas hardest hit in terms of TSA wait times during the partial government shutdown.
For Delta passengers originating from Atlanta (not just passengers connecting through the hub), the waiver provides some additional rebooking options.
If you fly Delta through March 30th, you can rebook your ticket and travel in the same fare class through April 6th without paying any difference or change fees. If you choose to rebook and travel after April 6, fare differences may apply.
“Honestly, everyone has been very pleasant, kind and respectful,” Auld added. “We had water and snacks along the way. It was quite long, but we waited well.”
Which airports is ICE located at?
CNN and the Washington Post reported that ICE officers were dispatched to 14 airports:
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
- Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
- Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU) near San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
- Southwest Florida International Airport near Fort Myers (RSW)
- Houston William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
ICE agents have also been reported at the following airports:
The Washington Post, citing Keith Jeffries, former TSA director at Los Angeles International Airport, reported that additional airports could be added if there is a particularly high demand.
DHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Lauren Biss told USA TODAY that the agency does not confirm the location of ICE agents, citing “operational security reasons.”
Why is ICE at the airport? What do airport staff do?
President Donald Trump sent ICE agents to airports to ease staffing shortages at the agency following more than a month of partial government shutdowns, during which TSA officers were not paid.
On March 22, Tom Homan, the White House Border Patrol official in charge of the operation, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “You don’t see ICE officers looking at X-ray machines because they’re not trained to do that. But there is some security that TSA does, and we can take them out of those jobs and put them into specialized jobs and help move those lines.”
The Department of Homeland Security’s BIS confirmed to USA TODAY that “ICE officers undergo a standard TSA training curriculum and then work to secure entrances and exits, assist with logistics, manage crowds, and perform identity checks using TSA equipment and standard operating procedures.”
Why does ICE pay but TSA doesn’t?
ICE officers continue to receive their regular salaries because they are classified as essential funded employees within the Department of Homeland Security. TSA employees are also considered essential and must work during the shutdown, but are not being paid because their funding is tied to a spending process stalled in Congress.
The difference lies in the funding structure. ICE has access to much larger and longer-term funding streams, while TSA relies more directly on lapsed annual budgets. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act provides DHS with more than $170 billion in immigration enforcement funding through 2029, including nearly $75 billion in funding for ICE.
Meanwhile, McNeil said TSA employees currently have nearly $1 billion in underpaid salaries.
“Many of our employees have missed paying their bills, received eviction notices, had their cars repossessed, had their utilities cut off, lost child care, defaulted on loans, damaged lines of credit and depleted their retirement savings,” she said. “Some of us may be sleeping in our cars, selling our own blood or plasma, or working second jobs to make a living, all while being expected to perform at the highest level when we’re in uniform to protect the traveling public.”
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contributors: Zach Wichter, Nathan Diller, Nicole Fallert, michelle del rey Ignacio Calderon and Lauren Villagran. america today
