Airport Security Lines More Than 3 Hours Long as TSA Faces Major Problem

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is being impacted by a partial government shutdown as lawmakers still have yet to agree on a plan to fund the agency. Now, the shutdown is causing some serious problems for travelers at the airport.

As the partial government shutdown continues, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is an arm of DHS, has been short-staffed as workers have been forced to work without pay. As a result, airport security lines have been hours long.

Partial Government Shutdown

The current partial shutdown follows what was the longest full federal government shutdown in history last fall. Although the federal government officially resumed operations in November of 2025, the reopening was only a short-term solution put in place while lawmakers worked to secure long-term funding.

In the months and weeks since, Congress has approved several different spending measures to keep the government running. However, DHS has still not been funded as it remains the lone federal agency without funding for the rest of fiscal year 2026, which extends through September 30. As a result, a partial government shutdown has taken effect, affecting DHS and, by extension, the TSA.

While TSA employees are eventually paid retroactively following a shutdown like this, they do have to work without pay until the government shutdown ends. With how long the shutdown has already stretched, the TSA has begun to experience staffing shortages that have led to delays at airports.

Hours-Long Delays

As a result of the TSA staffing shortages, airports across the country have been experiencing long wait times at airport security. This weekend, wait times exceeded three hours at some airports.

According to Reuters, Houston ‌Hobby Airport reported lines averaging 3.5 hours at one point on Sunday. Additionally, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport advised passengers on Sunday to arrive at least three hours before their scheduled departure.

The TSA has reported longer-than-average lines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

"Travelers are facing TSA lines of up to nearly three hours long at some major airports, causing missed flights and massive delays during peak travel," the DHS said in a statement.

Needless to say, if you're traveling at any point in the near future, it's important to get to the airport well ahead of your scheduled departure time, as it seems like delays are likely to continue until a funding deal is reached.