Hourslong lines at airport security checkpoints are easing up as ICE officers help TSA.
It’s unclear whether credit for quicker lines goes to lower volume during the week or the federal immigration agents’ efforts. ICE is not a direct substitute for TSA, as airport security personnel are trained to operate screening equipment and conduct security procedures, unlike the immigration agents.
As peak spring break travel came to a close this past weekend, the worst lines may be behind travelers. But weekend travel will approach again.
The 40-day partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has caused Transportation Security Administration employees to miss paychecks, leading to travel problems.
More than 400 TSA agents have quit since the lapse in government funding began Feb. 14, and more than 3,400 took off work on Sunday, according to DHS.
Amid airport chaos, President Trump deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to 14 U.S. airports on Monday to help mitigate long security lines.
Immigration agents were visible at airports in Atlanta, Chicago and New York on Monday and Tuesday.
The shutdown has caused TSA to stop reporting wait times on its myTSA app, but some airports are listing wait times on their websites.
By Monday afternoon, the lines at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey became so long that they removed wait time estimates from their websites.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport did post an estimate, with its website reading, “Due to current federal conditions, passengers are advised to allow at least 4 hours or more for domestic and international screenings.”
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport website flashed a warning of security lines taking four hours to get through.
By Tuesday, several major airports saw decreased wait times. Chicago Midway International Airport, Denver International Airport, St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia had wait times of less than 10 minutes, according to The New York Times’ flight tracker.
Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport reported an eight-minute TSA wait on its website.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport reported the highest call-out rates on Sunday, advising travelers to arrive at least three hours ahead of their scheduled departure, but that sped up fast. As of Tuesday morning, it was taking passengers about 10 minutes to get through TSA lines, according to airport spokesperson Erin Burns.
Lawmakers are negotiating with the White House to strike a deal to fund most of DHS, but bargains are still facing significant hurdles, meaning the funding lapse may continue to contribute to airport turmoil.
