The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reached U.S. airports on 22 February 2026 when officials announced that all Global Entry kiosks would be taken offline and—briefly—that the TSA PreCheck trusted-traveller lane would also be frozen. The move, made with just a few hours’ notice, was intended to redeploy the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers who staff the fee-funded programs to standard inspection lines so that core security functions did not buckle under furlough-driven staff shortages. Airlines for America and the U.S. Travel Association warned of cascading delays that would cost “millions of dollars a day” in lost productivity and missed connections.
![DHS suspends Global Entry, walks back TSA PreCheck halt as shutdown bites]()
Amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ can step in to help travellers and corporate mobility teams navigate backup plans. The company’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) quickly identifies alternative visa and entry-clearance solutions, schedules application appointments, and tracks document status in real time—services that prove invaluable when trusted-traveller programs are suddenly unavailable.
Within 12 hours—and after a flurry of criticism from airport directors, business-travel coalitions and members of Congress—DHS reversed course on PreCheck, saying the popular domestic-screening program would remain operational because Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staffing levels were “sufficient for the moment.” Global Entry, which relies on CBP officers rather than TSA screeners, remained suspended at more than 75 U.S. ports of entry, forcing low-risk frequent fliers back into the general passport queues. Trusted-traveller programs have become central to corporate mobility strategy: over 10 million passengers—and a large share of multinational assignees—use Global Entry to shave 20-30 minutes off arrival processing, while more than 20 million rely on PreCheck to avoid laptop-out security lines. Because the programs are funded by one-time enrollment fees rather than annual appropriations, industry groups argued that pausing them offered no fiscal benefit and merely shifted congestion elsewhere. For mobility managers, the incident is a warning that political gridlock can upend even “self-funded” facilitation schemes. Companies with road-warrior populations were urged to build extra layover time into return itineraries, remind travellers that Global Entry cards do not grant lane access while kiosks are closed, and consider enrolling key personnel in alternative programs such as Canada’s NEXUS or the U.K.’s eGates to preserve some expedited-entry options.
Amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ can step in to help travellers and corporate mobility teams navigate backup plans. The company’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) quickly identifies alternative visa and entry-clearance solutions, schedules application appointments, and tracks document status in real time—services that prove invaluable when trusted-traveller programs are suddenly unavailable.
Within 12 hours—and after a flurry of criticism from airport directors, business-travel coalitions and members of Congress—DHS reversed course on PreCheck, saying the popular domestic-screening program would remain operational because Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staffing levels were “sufficient for the moment.” Global Entry, which relies on CBP officers rather than TSA screeners, remained suspended at more than 75 U.S. ports of entry, forcing low-risk frequent fliers back into the general passport queues. Trusted-traveller programs have become central to corporate mobility strategy: over 10 million passengers—and a large share of multinational assignees—use Global Entry to shave 20-30 minutes off arrival processing, while more than 20 million rely on PreCheck to avoid laptop-out security lines. Because the programs are funded by one-time enrollment fees rather than annual appropriations, industry groups argued that pausing them offered no fiscal benefit and merely shifted congestion elsewhere. For mobility managers, the incident is a warning that political gridlock can upend even “self-funded” facilitation schemes. Companies with road-warrior populations were urged to build extra layover time into return itineraries, remind travellers that Global Entry cards do not grant lane access while kiosks are closed, and consider enrolling key personnel in alternative programs such as Canada’s NEXUS or the U.K.’s eGates to preserve some expedited-entry options.
