TSA Shutdown 2026 — How the DHS Funding Crisis Is Destroying Air Travel
If you are flying anywhere in the United States right now, your airport experience is being directly affected by a political standoff in Washington. TSA agents are working without pay, hundreds have already quit, and some airports are warning travelers to arrive four hours early just to make their flights.
Here is what is happening and what you need to know before you travel.
Why TSA Is in Crisis
DHS is the last federal agency not funded by Congress for the rest of the fiscal year, which runs through September 30. A series of short-term extensions were approved, but the last one ran out in mid-February — nearly a month ago.
The partial shutdown began on February 14 because Democrats and Republicans were deadlocked over immigration enforcement. Democratic lawmakers refused to pass an appropriations bill funding DHS unless the agency implemented guardrails on federal immigration agents, following incidents in which federal officers shot and killed two American citizens in Minneapolis earlier in the year. The White House and Republican colleagues argued the Democrats' proposals would impede Trump's immigration enforcement agenda.
The result: 50,000 TSA officers have been forced to work without pay for over a month.
The Numbers Tell the Story
TSA agents are now missing full paychecks as the shutdown enters its 31st day. The normal absence rate for TSA workers is under 2%, but that number has exploded since funding lapsed on February 14.
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — the world's busiest — roughly 36% of TSA employees called out on one day alone last week. Absences spiked over 50% in Houston and more than 30% in New Orleans and Atlanta, with travelers sometimes enduring lines of two hours or longer.
More than 300 TSA agents have quit their jobs entirely since the shutdown began, with DHS noting that each new recruit requires four to six months of training — meaning those staffing gaps cannot be quickly filled even after the shutdown ends.
What It Looks Like on the Ground
The scenes at major airports have been extraordinary. At Houston's William P. Hobby Airport on March 8, the TSA security line stretched from the checkpoint through the lower level baggage claim area all the way into the parking garage.
Wait times of 3.5 hours have been reported at major hubs. The TSA website and app were taken offline on February 17 — both paused operations because the staff managing them were furloughed — leaving travelers with no centralized way to check wait times before leaving for the airport.
One traveler at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport posted a video at 2 a.m. showing a winding security queue, saying she arrived four hours early and still missed her 2:30 a.m. flight.
Airports Warning Travelers to Arrive Early
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport both advised travelers to arrive at least three hours before their flights due to the disruptions.
Southwest Airlines, which has a major hub at Houston Hobby, began accepting checked bags up to five hours before scheduled takeoff instead of the normal four-hour limit. The airline is also allowing passengers to change flights without any additional cost. JetBlue also issued a formal travel advisory warning of longer security screening times.
TSA PreCheck remains open at most airports, making it arguably the most valuable travel investment you can make right now if you fly regularly.
Airports Could Literally Close
This is not hyperbole. A senior TSA official warned that if Congress does not end the shutdown soon, some smaller airports may have to shut down entirely because they simply do not have enough security personnel to operate.
The Global Entry program, which had been suspended on February 22, was reactivated on March 11, but the broader staffing crisis continues to worsen as the shutdown stretches on.
Airline CEOs Demand Action
The airline industry is furious. The CEOs of American, Delta, Southwest, and JetBlue sent an open letter to Congress urging lawmakers to restore DHS funding immediately, writing that it is difficult, if not impossible, for TSA workers to put food on the table, pay rent, and get to work when they are not being paid.
Chris Sununu, CEO of Airlines for America — which represents the major US carriers — called on Congress and the administration to act with urgency, saying America's transportation security workforce is too important to be used as political leverage.
The disruptions are compounding other pressures on airlines, as the US-Israel war on Iran has led to thousands of canceled international flights and driven up fuel costs significantly.
The Human Cost Behind the Headlines
Anthony Riley, a 58-year-old TSA officer at Syracuse Hancock International Airport, has continued working through the shutdown but fears he may soon face eviction. He lost his car during the last government shutdown and has no savings. His wife is awaiting a kidney donation, and without reliable transportation, the family worries about how they would reach the hospital if an organ becomes available.
TSA workers have now been forced to work without pay three times in six months due to back-to-back government shutdowns — a record with no modern parallel.
What You Should Do Before You Fly
Arrive at least three hours early at any major airport, and four hours early at Houston Hobby, Atlanta, or New Orleans. Check your individual airport's social media for real-time wait updates since the TSA app remains down. Consider enrolling in TSA PreCheck if you travel frequently. Check with your airline about flexible rebooking options before you get to the airport.
As of March 18, 2026, the shutdown continues with no resolution in sight and spring break travel season in full swing.
For live updates, follow your airline's official channels and your departure airport's social media accounts.
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