TSA Lines Are Still Long. Here’s What Travelers Can Do

A federal funding lapse has working TSA officers unpaid, ICE agents sent to airports and long security lines as spring break continues

A partial government shutdown affecting TSA officers caused three-hour-long lines at airport security checkpoints the week of March 8, 2026, and still continue. The lines are reminiscent of those travelers experienced during last year’s government shutdown, such as this one at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston in November 2025.

Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Berit Thorkelson,

Updated March 25, 2026

AARP

Published March 11, 2026

/ Updated March 25, 2026

Just as peak spring break season is hitting, air travelers are facing longer-than-usual wait times at many airports.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers have been working without pay — and more than 480 have quit — since Feb. 14, after funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lapsed, causing staffing shortages. The effects of those shortages are still being seen at airports across the country during the fifth week of the partial government shutdown. For example, travelers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston are waiting more than four hours in the security line. On March 25, the airport’s website notes that there is TSA screening in two terminals.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived March 23 at about 14 airports, including Bush Intercontinental Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport — some of which had the longest wait times, according to multiple sources. According to testimony from the acting TSA administrator, many airports have experienced more than 40 percent callout rates, leaving TSA security checkpoints short-staffed.

Forty-nine percent of respondents in the AARP 2026 Travel Trends survey conducted Nov. 11 to Dec. 15, 2025, plan to travel domestically by airplane in 2026. And 14 percent of respondents were already voicing concern about getting through airport security.

What are ICE agents in charge of at airports?

ICE agents will be “conducting nonspecialized security support, manning the exit lanes, crowd management, line control,” said Adam Stahl, acting deputy TSA administrator, in a March 23 interview with Fox News, according to USA Today.

ICE agents have been reported assisting at the following airports: Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport and Philadelphia International Airport. .

How this affects TSA agents — and keeps lines long

Unlike last fall’s 43-day government shutdown, which was the longest in U.S. history, these closures are targeted to agencies under the DHS umbrella, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the TSA, the AP reported. However, ICE agents are being paid during this shutdown.

The last shutdown ended after a shortage of air traffic controllers — who were working without pay — caused widespread flight delays and cancellations. Air traffic controllers are paid by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), not the DHS, so their paychecks continue during this shutdown.

TSA’s 50,000 officers received partial paychecks in February and missed the first full paycheck March 13. Another missed paycheck is expected this week. Prior to the first full missed paycheck, Lauren Bis, deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS, said in a written statement that the missed pay could lead to “financial hardship, absences and crippling staffing shortages.”

Johnny J. Jones, secretary-treasurer for the union representing TSA workers, told the Wall Street Journal in early March that most TSA officers work paycheck to paycheck, and that the last shutdown ate up accumulated financial cushions.

The spring break travelers expected over the next couple weeks may further strain the system.

“We are in spring break travel season and expecting record numbers of people to take to the skies,” Chris Sununu, president and CEO of Airlines for America, a trade group for U.S. airlines, said in a statement in early March. “We are seeing firsthand the significant strains that the current DHS shutdown is causing across the aviation system.”

How travelers can avoid or manage long TSA lines

A little extra planning can help ensure you make it to your flight on time.

Check on TSA lines from home. Many major airports have live or estimated TSA wait times listed on their websites. However, the New York Times reported that as lines grew long on March 23, some airports removed the estimates from websites. TSA is not updating its MyTSA app during the shutdown.
Earlier is better. During the extreme waits on March 8, Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport urged travelers via social media to arrive four to five hours early, the AP reported.
Use TSA PreCheck or Clear. Expedited TSA PreCheck lanes are still open, as staffing permits. Though the PreCheck application process takes anywhere from three days to two months when TSA is normally staffed, the privately run company Clear has kiosks in about 60 airports to enroll travelers in minutes. It costs more than PreCheck — $209 per year for Clear bundled with PreCheck, versus $85 for five years for PreCheck only — though free trials are often available. The Global Entry program, which expedites American travelers returning to the U.S., reopened March 11. DHS had suspended the program on Feb. 22, citing the partial shutdown.
Be prepared. Ensure all liquids, aerosols and gels are 3.4 ounces or less and packed in a single clear quart-sized bag. Wear comfortable, easy-to-remove shoes, in case you’re asked to take them off. And have your boarding pass and ID ready when you reach the front of the line.
Pack your patience. Remember that TSA officers are not to blame for this inconvenience. In fact, they’re dealing with extra stress, on top of not being paid. Treat them kindly and have patience.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on March 10. It has been updated to reflect new information.

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Contributing: The Associated Press.

Berit Thorkelson is a travel writer and editor for aarp.org. She has also written for publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Better Homes & Gardens and The Minnesota Star Tribune’s travel section.