TSA Agents Stop Showing Up Amid Partial Government Shutdown, Causing Three-Hour Airport Security Lines

A partial lapse in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding that began on Feb. 13 has left roughly 50,000 frontline Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners classified as essential and working without pay, producing large-scale staffing shortfalls and hours-long security lines at major U.S. airports during the start of spring-break travel.

Multiple outlets reported the shutdown’s direct link to long waits, noting the funding lapse and essential status of TSA workers as the root cause of the disruptions.

ABC News

Airport systems and travelers reported long waits and operational impacts across multiple hubs, with some wait times reaching three to four hours.

Houston’s William P. Hobby and parts of the Houston airport system saw lanes loop through terminals.

BBC

New Orleans’s Louis Armstrong reported routine peak delays of more than two hours.

Major hubs such as Atlanta and Charlotte reported extended waits as spring travel surged.

Airports and carriers warned that staffing shortages were causing missed flights and delays during what carriers expect to be a record spring-travel period.

“Videos and photos of the lengthy lines flooded social media on Sunday”

BBC

They urged passengers to arrive hours earlier than usual, and some airports recommended arriving three to five hours before departure.

Airlines for America and local leaders called on Congress and the administration to resolve the funding gap quickly to avoid further disruptions as passenger volumes climbed.

Congressional politics and disagreements over immigration-enforcement measures were repeatedly cited as the proximate cause of the funding lapse, with spokespeople and some outlets pointing fingers at political actors for the impasse and its operational consequences for TSA staff.

DHS spokespeople and other reports framed the dispute as a standoff that left essential workers unpaid and intensified absences and 'sickouts'.

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Officials warned that the staffing crisis is aggravated by attrition following prior shutdowns and by rising absences now.

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They said this creates a risk of longer‑term capacity strain if the funding lapse continues, and TSA officials told Congress that departures rose sharply after a previous shutdown.

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Industry groups, state officials and airports stressed the urgency of restoring funding to avoid worsening service and operational losses during a peak travel period.