A six-week budget standoff that has left the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unfunded is now exacting a steep human and operational toll at America’s airports. DHS confirmed on Thursday that 497 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners have resigned since paychecks stopped on February 14. In sworn testimony to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said call-outs are running above 40 percent at some hubs and assaults on screeners have quadrupled. Long lines are rippling across the country, with Atlanta, Houston and Denver reporting waits of more than three hours during the morning peak.
To plug staffing gaps, President Donald Trump last week ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to augment TSA lanes. ICE officers, wearing tactical vests and side-arms, are now posted at 14 of the busiest airports. While ICE can check IDs or move baggage trays, they cannot operate screening equipment without specialized certification, limiting the benefit.
Legal experts also warn that deploying any federalized National Guard troops to checkpoints would run afoul of the Posse Comitatus Act unless governors agree to send state-controlled units.
Travelers and the business community are feeling the pinch. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that missed flights and rebooking fees have cost companies roughly $138 million in lost productivity this week alone.
![Nearly 500 TSA Officers Quit Amid Record Wait Times as DHS Shutdown Drags On]()
Amid these uncertainties, travelers are increasingly looking for ways to streamline every other part of the journey. Online services like VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) can at least remove one headache by expediting visa and passport processing, offering real-time status updates and 24/7 support so that, when you finally reach the checkpoint, your documentation is the one thing you don’t have to worry about.
Large conventions—including a global energy expo in Houston—have issued advisories telling attendees to arrive at least four hours before departure. Airlines have begun capping ticket sales on heavily affected routes to avoid strandings and have activated volunteer employee programs to hand out bottled water in checkpoint lines.
Morale inside TSA is plummeting. According to the American Federation of Government Employees, some officers are selling plasma, driving ride-share cars overnight, or sleeping in airport parking lots to save on fuel. “People can make more at a fast-food restaurant than they do risking confrontation at a checkpoint with no pay,” said AFGE Council 100 President Hydrick Thomas.
The attrition is creating a vicious circle: fewer screeners mean longer lines, which in turn increase stress and sick-outs.
Acting Administrator McNeill warned lawmakers that if the shutdown is not resolved within days, TSA will begin closing entire checkpoints—starting with smaller terminals—and could ultimately suspend operations at low-volume airports. That scenario would strand regional communities and force passengers to drive hours to the nearest functioning gateway, undermining the national aviation system and corporate mobility alike.
To plug staffing gaps, President Donald Trump last week ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to augment TSA lanes. ICE officers, wearing tactical vests and side-arms, are now posted at 14 of the busiest airports. While ICE can check IDs or move baggage trays, they cannot operate screening equipment without specialized certification, limiting the benefit.
Legal experts also warn that deploying any federalized National Guard troops to checkpoints would run afoul of the Posse Comitatus Act unless governors agree to send state-controlled units.
Travelers and the business community are feeling the pinch. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that missed flights and rebooking fees have cost companies roughly $138 million in lost productivity this week alone.
Amid these uncertainties, travelers are increasingly looking for ways to streamline every other part of the journey. Online services like VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) can at least remove one headache by expediting visa and passport processing, offering real-time status updates and 24/7 support so that, when you finally reach the checkpoint, your documentation is the one thing you don’t have to worry about.
Large conventions—including a global energy expo in Houston—have issued advisories telling attendees to arrive at least four hours before departure. Airlines have begun capping ticket sales on heavily affected routes to avoid strandings and have activated volunteer employee programs to hand out bottled water in checkpoint lines.
Morale inside TSA is plummeting. According to the American Federation of Government Employees, some officers are selling plasma, driving ride-share cars overnight, or sleeping in airport parking lots to save on fuel. “People can make more at a fast-food restaurant than they do risking confrontation at a checkpoint with no pay,” said AFGE Council 100 President Hydrick Thomas.
The attrition is creating a vicious circle: fewer screeners mean longer lines, which in turn increase stress and sick-outs.
Acting Administrator McNeill warned lawmakers that if the shutdown is not resolved within days, TSA will begin closing entire checkpoints—starting with smaller terminals—and could ultimately suspend operations at low-volume airports. That scenario would strand regional communities and force passengers to drive hours to the nearest functioning gateway, undermining the national aviation system and corporate mobility alike.
