Travelers are facing the longest TSA wait times in history: NPR

The Transportation Security Administration is experiencing the longest wait times ever in its 24-year historical past due to the ongoing partial shutdown, the company’s deputy administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill instructed the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday.

Wait times at some main airports have exceeded 4 hours, and workers at these airports are calling out of labor at charges of 40% to 50%, McNeill instructed members of the committee. If this partial authorities shutdown continues into Friday, TSA could have missed virtually $1 billion in paychecks because it started, McNeill stated.

“This level of disruption is unprecedented, and unacceptable, and significantly undermines the security of US transportation systems,” she stated.

McNeill stated workers are unable to pay their utility payments and their companies are being shut off because of this. They’re additionally receiving eviction notices, sleeping in their automobiles and promoting their blood and plasma to make ends meet. More than 480 workers have stop since the shutdown started, she stated.

“Paying these dedicated employees for the work they are performing should never be a point of debate,” she stated.

Additionally, there was a 500% improve in assaults towards TSA officers since the shutdown started, McNeill stated. She stated authorized motion shall be pursued in these incidents.

McNeill thanked Trump for sending ICE brokers to some main airports, “enabling TSA officers to focus on carrying out critical security screening duties during this challenging time for our agency,” she stated.

TSA might have to shut smaller airports because of understaffing, she stated, and she or he worries the company will proceed to lose officers to extra regular jobs and fail to draw new expertise.

McNeill stated it takes 4 to 6 months to coach a TSA officer to work checkpoints, that means new hires would not be accessible to work when a number of FIFA World Cup matches will occur throughout the nation, beginning in June. TSA is anticipating between 6 and 10 million further passengers for the event, she stated.

“To the traveling public, we ask for your patience and understanding as our officers are working their hardest to ensure you can travel safely, all while not getting paid,” she stated.

Democrats and Republicans level fingers about what’s inflicting the shutdown

At Wednesday’s listening to, Democratic and Republican House members blamed their opposing events for dragging out the shutdown on.

Both parties have been unable to agree on funding for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which, like TSA, is beneath the Department of Homeland Security umbrella.

Democrats have claimed ICE is overfunded and officers use pointless bodily pressure. Meanwhile, Republicans have asserted the US is facing elevated terrorist threats, and that ICE has been undoing lax immigration insurance policies put in place by former President Joe Biden.

“We’re here because we’re cleaning up a mess that is on a level and a scale that is unfathomable,” Rep. August Pfluger instructed Texas Republican. “President Trump has had to clean up a mess that is on a scale that was unthinkable.”

Several Democrats additionally condemned a choice by former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to finish TSA’s collective bargaining settlement in March 2025. At the timethe company stated ending the settlement “removes bureaucratic hurdles that will strengthen workforce agility, enhance productivity and resiliency, while also jumpingstarting innovation.”

The American Federation of Government Employees fought the determination in court — and gained in January 2026.

“On behalf of the 47,000 TSA officers our union represents, I thank the court for stepping in to prevent the administration from ripping up their union contract, again,” stated AFGE National President Everett Kelley in a January press release.

Addressing Republicans, Rep. Delia Ramirez, a Democrat representing Illinois, stated “So when you’re acting here like you give a darn about our TSA officers, stop with the hypocrisy.”

Michigan Democrat Rep. Shri Thanedar stated it seems to be like ICE brokers “have no role to play,” as he stated he has seen them sitting round on their telephones and chatting at the Detroit Metro Airport. McNeill reiterated that ICE has offered essential help to TSA throughout the shutdown.